


What She's Been Searching For

by AshleyIsDeviant



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, F/M, Fluff, Killing, Romance, Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 16:40:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 43,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15912183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshleyIsDeviant/pseuds/AshleyIsDeviant
Summary: After the unexplained loss of her parents Nanu finds herself chasing their memory as she takes a trip to Italy where she meets a man who reveals a whole new mysterious world to her. Maybe she will finally get the answers shes been searching for, or maybe some things are better left unknown. *Rated M for sexual content, attempted rape, and murder.*





	1. Crash Landing

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first fan fiction I have ever written. It might be a little rough, but I wanted to share it with you guys. Enjoy!

_"Nanu?" a frantic voice called from the other side of my front door. "It's Oni, open up!" Her fists pounded against the old wood rattling the hinges loudly. I creased my forehead as I wrapped myself tighter in my robe. The night chill had set in and the hum of crickets filled the air. 'It's got to be at least 3 am, what could my sister want at this time of the night?' I thought._

_"I'm coming!" I shouted as I reached for the lit lantern hanging on the wall, my feet quickly sweeping across the wooden floor as I hurried to her. I heard her shifting impatiently on the other side as my fingers lifted the metal latch, not an uncommon thing. My sister was notorious for wanting things done just when she wanted them and exactly the way she says. I finally slid the lock open and when the dim light illuminated her face, my heart sank. I noticed her tear stained cheeks and swollen red eyes, she looked like a mess. "Sister, what-?"_

_"Mother and father, Nanu…" She tried to choke out, but the tears began to fall again and her lips quivered. My heart began to race as thousands of thoughts swam through my head. They had left about a week ago to trade with some merchants in Italy, what could have went wrong? They have made the same trip so many times. I grew desperate for answers and reached for her. Gripping her shoulders tight, i forced her to look at me and gave her a hard shake._

_"Oni! Tell me what happened!" I demanded, but she only dropped her head and sobbed hard into her hands. This was all the conformation I needed. Suddenly all the thoughts that were swimming through my head were gone. I went numb, and all that was left was silence._

I was pulled away from my thoughts as the boat I was aboard jerked to a stop and we began to dock. I looked up as the people around me started to slowly stand and gather their belongings. The attendant began to shout directions, instructing us on how to disembark. I took a deep breath and followed suit, grabbing my bags and standing i waited to get in line. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. ' _I'm glad I decided to wear the short sleeved burlap dress today._ ' I thought to myself, tossing my long dark hair over my shoulder and enjoying the heat of the day. The sun was bright and felt good on my skin. After being on a boat for so long on the cold water, it begins to get a little chilly. It takes about three days to get from Egypt to Italy. Needless to say, I was ready to get off the water and onto solid ground.

My eyes caught sight of two little girls, running in and out of their parents feet. fighting over a hand made baby doll. The dad was frantically trying to grab them and make them behave as the mother lifted her hand to her mouth, covering her laughter. i found myself smiling too, though my heart felt heavy. It made me think of how my family used to be. Me and my sister were always fighting over something while mom and dad worked so hard at keeping the peace. _'Maybe we should have behaved a little more..'_

Finally it was my turn to be helped off the boat. A tall man gave me a small smile and held is hand out to me.

"Papers please ma'am." I dug in one of my bags for just a second and pulled out my boarding papers. He took them from me and read over them carefully."From Egypt i see. you are a long way from home." he stated. I gave him a nod.

"Yes, I am here to study, I have heard there are many educational opportunities here."

"Hmm," He looked thoughtful. "Yes there are a few here, but not as many as compared to some other places around here. Any other reason for your travels?"

"Well yes." I said. "I have always been interested in Italy, I've heard so many things about it so i thought it was time to finally come see it for myself." The man smiles and handed my documents back to me.

"I hope you find everything you're looking for"

I gave the man a smile and a wave as my sandals hit the cobble stone pavement. People were rushing past me in every direction. Quickly I moved out of the way of the others who were traveling about. Some were boarding the boats to take long journeys. Some, like me, were finally arriving at their destinations and disembarking and ready to go out into the town.

I placed my bags on the ground and searched for my great aunt who I would be staying with for a while, she said in her last letter that she would be here to meet me when i got off the boat. The sun shone brightly in my eyes blinding me, so I raised my hand to block out the light. After glancing around for a few minutes i decided to walk a little more into town and look for her again there. I reached down to gather my bags as the boats began to roar to life and head out into sea again. The noise was so loud, it blocked out everything else around me. I didn't even hear the sound of the heavy quick footsteps racing towards me.

BAM! It felt like I had collided with a brick wall. All at once I was knocked down to the ground, the air rushing out of my lungs as I landed hard on my tail. A light pain shot through my bottom and I let out a small yelp, my hands instinctively cupping the injured area. Feeling angered and a bit disoriented I give my head a shake and my eyes darted around quickly, looking for what knocked me down. Immediately my eyes caught the sight of two beautiful hazel orbs staring back at me. And those hazel orbs were attached to a man, a man who actually looked very apologetic and just as stunned me. After a long pause he gave me a short nod, pulled himself up from the ground and sprinted down a nearby ally.

' _How rude!_ ' I thought to myself ' _Knock a lady down, and can't even be bothered to say sorry or help her up! What could possibly be so important?_ '

It was then that I noticed the trail of guards running after him. My curiosity peeked.

' _Who is that guy..._?'

I sat and gawked for a moment, the pain in my bum becoming a dull thud before a guard stood before me and offered me his hand.

"Are you alright ma'am? Can you stand?"

"Yes, thank you" I said as I took it and pulled myself off the ground.

I turned to the man and smiled with a thank you as I brushed myself off ' _How embarrassing'_  I thought. He didn't look much older than me. He had sandy brown hair and an amazing smile that shown both of his dimples in his cheeks.

"I am Niccolo." He said as he bowed to me and raised my hand to his mouth. His lips gently brushed against my skin. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. "Can I ask your name?"

"I'm Nanu" I replied as he released my hand.

"Beautiful name Nanu, I take it you are Egyptian?"

"Yes…" I said as I pondered on how he could have known that. He chuckled.

"We don't get very many Egyptians here in Florence, but when we do, it's hard to forget what they look like. Your dark features make you stand out against the rest of us" he said as he gestured around him. "Very beautiful." He said with a wink. I smiled at him and began to reach again for my bags.

"Nanu!" a voice called from beside me. I turned quickly to see my great aunt standing there with her arms wide open.

"Aunt Rita." I said with a smile as I gave her a hug "Wonderful to see you after so long."

"I am so sorry i wasn't here when you got off the ship. I was tied up in a few things."

"That's okay," i replied. "I only just got into town a few moments ago." She grinned.

"I see you've met Niccolo, have you?" she said as she gave him a smile. "Oh Niccolo, you weren't going to let her carry her own bags all the way to my house now were you?"

"N-No ma'am!" He said as he quickly grabbed my bags off the cobblestone streets.

"Good! Now come along you two my house isn't that far from here. Let's get washed up and have some dinner, hmm?"

"Sounds good." I said as I glanced at Niccolo. Rita began to walk and Niccolo gestured at me to follow her. I did and he fell into suit behind me. Rita began to tell me a little bit about the town square and the various venders that lined the streets as we walked. I listened wholeheartedly, taking in every bit of information she had to offer. That's why I'm here after all, to learn. But I couldn't keep my eyes from wondering down a certain dark alleyway as we passed.

' _It's a dead end.'_ I thought to myself.  _'He probably didn't escape…'_  I was unsure why this thought tugged at my heart strings.I cast my gaze back at Niccolo again. He too was looking down the same alleyway, only his expression was one of concern. I focused my attention back on Aunt Rita and comfortably listened to her talking as we made our way to her house.

Once we arrived she showed me to my room. It was so nice. Not as elegant as my place back in Egypt, but it made me feel very comfortable. There was a bed draped with a floral spread, a wooden desk sat opposite of it with a lantern ready for my use, and a dresser with a few novels on top next to the bed. There was also a beautiful big window beside the desk that was half open, letting in a warm breeze.

"I love it Aunt Rita, it's very nice. Are you sure I won't be any trouble staying here for a while?"

"None at all dear! Why, id be offended if you didn't let me keep you during your stay. We are family after all." I smiled and gave her a nod. "Get washed up if you like then come on down for some supper when you are ready okay?"

I thanked her and shut the door, then grabbed my bags off the floor and sat them on the bed to unpack. I didn't bring much with me. Just a few items and some clothing. I figured I could buy whatever else id need from the local venders dad always spoke of. I neatly packed my clothes in the dresser and placed a picture of my family on the desk.

_'I wonder what my parents would say to me right now…'_  I thought as I brushed my fingertips gently over the thin woven material of the picture. A sad smile pulled at my lips as i thought of their disapproval. I sighed and walked back to the bed and placed my empty bags underneath it.

After washing my hands and face, I made my way to the kitchen where Niccolo was helping Aunt Rita plate the food and place it on the table.

"There you are." He said once he spotted me with a smile. I returned it and walked over to him to help set the table. We sat down and had our meal, occasionally making small talk between bites. the food was amazing. it had been so long since i had gotten to taste Aunt Rita's cooking. She hardly ever got to come around because she lived so far away. Her dark hair now lightened by gray streaks was always pulled up neatly in a bun atop her head and she was always sporting some kind of long dress covered by an apron. She knew everything about everyone and was quite the social butterfly.

"So, you guys seem to know each other pretty well." I said to the both of them.

"Oh yes!" Aunt Rita said as she clapped her hands together. "I've known Niccolo since he was a tiny boy, chasing those little girls around with that wooden sword of his. How fitting it is that he has grown up to be a guard." I giggled and looked at Niccolo. His face was getting red, but a smile played softly on his lips

"Yeah, yeah" he muttered "But only part time, I actually work at the pottery stall, where you will be working Nanu."

"Oh?" I said as I looked towards Rita.

"Oh yes, I got you a job there. A friend of mine runs it and I told him how your family makes pottery for a living in Egypt. He said he would love to have you work for him. Isn't that wonderful?"

"It is." I said with a smile. I felt relieved knowing id be doing something I'm familiar with for work.

Once we were done eating, we all helped clean up and Rita excused herself for the night. I walked Niccolo to the door and thanked him for his help earlier that day.

"It was my pleasure." He said with a sweet smile "I'm glad I got to meet you today. See you around, Nanu" And with that he gave a small bow, and turned to walk off into the night. Once I latched the door I made my way to my room. After I changed out of my day clothes and into my night gown, I opened the window, letting the cool night air wash over me. I tilted my head back and slid my eyes shut as my thoughts drifted to a pair of hazel orbs.

_'I wonder if I'll ever see him again. I guess its rather unlikely now…'_

I sighed and closed the window, then crawled my way into bed. Feeling exhausted from my travels, it didn't take long before sleep swallowed me whole and I was engulfed in blackness.


	2. The Assassin

_"Did you get me something mom, dad?" I said as I happily rushed to their sides to help them carry some of their sacks they had brought back from their journey to Italy._

_"We might have." Mom said as she smiled at dad and he smiled back. My mind began to wonder as I imagined the possibilities of what could have been inside of those bags. Every time my parents made a journey to Italy, they always bring my sister and me something back. Sometimes it's cloaks or robes. Sometimes it's jewels. And on very rare occasions, they will bring us back something sweet to eat. I could hardly wait._

_"Mom, Dad what is Italy like?" i asked. They exchanged a glance and mom carefully answered._

_"Well, it's a very busy place, with lots of goods to buy and sights to see." She trailed off as a smile spread across her face._

_"I learn something new every time I go" my dad chimed in. They shared a smile._

_"Wow, that sounds amazing." I said in awe. "Do you think maybe you can take me sometime?"_

_My dad's smile quickly fell from his face._

_"No." he said in a stern voice._

_"But why?" I asked, my forehead crinkling in confusion. I heard my mother sigh as she touched his shoulder._

_"Because, sometimes it's not safe, and it's our job to keep you safe no matter what." My mom says sweetly to me. "Do you understand?" I just nodded and continued walking alongside them even though I didn't understand. But I decided to not saying anything else about it._

I stared at the ceiling for a long moment after I woke, replaying the memory over and over again in my head. I wished I could remember their faces more clearly. Some features seemed to blur in my mind. I wish the sound of their voice was more familiar to me. With each day that goes by, I seem to be forgetting more and more about them. I sighed loudly as I flipped the covers off and gathered up the will power to head for the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Opening my drawer I carefully selected which dress to wear today, not that I had that much of a selection. I decided on a short peach colored dress seeing as how the weather seemed to be getting warmer with each passing day. I pulled my hair over my shoulder and braided it down the side to keep it out of my face. Once I was satisfied with the way I looked I made my way down stairs and into the kitchen where Aunt Rita had already began making some breakfast.

"Good morning." I called from behind her. She turned around and smiled widely at me.

"Oh good morning dear!" she sang back. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes I did, the bed is very comfortable." I replied as I grabbed some eggs and began to fry them up. "Do you always wake up so early to make breakfast?"

"No, not all the time. It's just been so long since I've had actual company in this house. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to cook us up a nice big breakfast!" I smiled.

"I bet the last people you had over were mom and dad, am I right?" I asked. She seemed to pause for a moment. I wondered if she was afraid to talk about it with me. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder and gave her a warm smile. "It's okay." I reassured her. She visibly relaxed and went back to cooking.

"Yes, they were the last company I had over." A smile spread across her face as she began to tell me about all the things they would do when they came to visit. "You are a lot like your mom you know." She said. "She would get up every morning and help me with cooking and cleaning. Your father on the other hand would lay in bed all day if I let him!" I giggled.

"Yeah, Oni is the one who takes after him." She smiled.

"How is Oni doing?" Aunt Rita asked. I sighed.

"She is doing better than she was. It still gets to her from time to time." Aunt Rita silently nodded. "She doesn't like to talk about it much, she wishes id leave it alone, but I can't help but feel like there's more to the story than what I know…" I trailed off and glanced up at her face, her expression was unchanged.

"Why do you think that Nanu?" she questioned.

"I'm not sure. I just have this feeling like I'm missing a piece of the story." She looked like she was deep in thought and it was a long while before she spoke again.

"Your mother and father were just in the wrong place at the wrong time sweetie." She said as if she was carefully picking her words. "Some thieves who had a bit too much to drink that night went too far and when they didn't give up their belongings…" she trailed off and her eyes grew wet.

"Yeah, I know Aunt Rita." I gave her a sad smile and we both returned to our cooking without another word.

Once we were done we plated everything and brought it to the table where we ate and discussed what we would do today.

"I thought we could go out and spend the day in town. I have to do a little shopping for the house anyway and you could stop by the place you will be working if you'd like and meet the owner."

"Okay that sounds nice, I'll do that."

"Wonderful! Oh and another thing." I looked at her and raised my eyebrows.

"Yes?"

"Tomorrow night there is a town formal that's going to be held in the square. Everybody who's anybody is going to be there." She looked at me with hopeful eyes.

"Is that so?" I said nonchalantly as I took another bite of eggs.

"I think that maybe you and Niccolo should go together. It would be so much fun!" My stomach fluttered.

"Me and Niccolo?" I asked.

"Yes! Oh it would be so nice, and you'd have a good time."

"How do you know he would even want to go with me?"

"Oh sweetie I've known him since he was a small boy and I can tell, he fancies you." I took another bite of food as I thought. ' _Well, it would be a good way to get out and meet some new people. And Niccolo is very attractive…'_

"Will you be going?" I asked

"Why of course dear! I never pass a town formal." She said with a wink. I laughed and agreed.

"Okay, yeah I'll go."

"Splendid!" she cried out as she clapped her hands together. "We will need to go get some nice dresses then wont we?" a smile spread wide across my face.

"Yes, we will."

We finished up eating and cleaned the dishes, and then Aunt Rita and I hit the town. We walked along the streets and talked about various things. She showed me where to go to get all the things we would need for the house. She showed me her favorite vendors. And she made sure I didn't go to the vendors who were her least favorite. We spent the majority of the day just spending some much needed family time with each other. I hadn't realized how much I missed her.

"Here we are!" she said as we stopped in front of a wooden shack that had various pots and bowls placed all around it. "This is where you will be working." She said as she gestured for me to walk inside. I did as she instructed and was greeted by a very tall, very wide man.

"Ciao signora!" the man called as he walked towards us with a big smile on his face. "Rita! How wonderful to see you again!" Aunt Rita laughed and gave the man a kiss on the cheek.

"Antonio, so good to see you." She smiled. "This is my great niece Nanu. Shes the one i was talking about who is really good with pottery." She gestured towards me.

"sì, sì, i remember! So wonderful to finally meet you miss Nanu." He said as he shook my hand. I gave a small curtsy.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work for you sir Antonio."

"The pleasure is all mine signora!" Aunt Rita touched him on the arm.

"Come Antonio, i wish to speak with you for a moment. Nanu we will be right back okay?"

"Okay." I smiled as they walked out together. ' _They go together very well'_ i thought. I glanced around at all the pottery that was scattered about, some painted, some only half done. There were a few pieces that hadn't even been into the fire yet. I walked over to the large mound of clay that sat atop a table, next to a tub of mercy water. ' _Now this feels like home'_  i thought to myself. I looked up from the clay and a big pot across the room caught my eye.

"Wow." I whispered as i walked over to it. It was beautiful. The pot was stripped horizontally gold and black and was expertly engraved with various dancing red animals. I traced over each one gently with my fingertips."

"Amazing..."

"I'm glad you like it." I heard a voice say beside me. I jumped and turned quickly coming face to face with Niccolo. I let out a breath and relaxed.

"You scared me, i didn't even hear you come in." He smirked and crossed his arms.

"Perks of being a guard i guess."

"You did this?" i asked as my eyes slid back to the pot. He nodded.

"Yeah, finished it not to long ago actually. It took me forever to complete."

"i can imagine." I breathed out as i studied it some more. I could feel his eyes on me, making my cheeks tint red.

"So there's this thing that the town does every now and then called the town formal." He began. My eyes met his and i smiled.

"Yeah, my Aunt was telling my about that this morning actually."

"Oh, good. So, i was wondering if maybe you would like to go with me. You know, as friends." I tried my best to hide my girlish smile.

"Okay, sure. Id like that." I replied with a nod. A wide smile spread across his smooth face showing off those cute dimples of his.

"Okay, great. Ill be by the house at dawn to pick you up."

"Sounds good." I said with a smile. My heart rate increased.  _'whoa.'_  i thought _. 'do i like this guy?'_

The sounds of Aunt Rita's laughter filled the air and captured our attention as both she and Antonio walked through the door.

"You always were good for a laugh Antonio!" She sang.

"I am just glad I can keep a smile on that pretty face of yours signora" Antonio said. Aunt Rita chuckled and gestured towards me.

"Well thank you for your company gentlemen but we really must be going. The sun is close to setting and we still need to find out gowns for tomorrow!" I walked over to her and smiled at Antonio

"I'll see you tomorrow morning sir."

"I look forward to it." He replied. Once we left I looked over at Aunt Rita.

"You and Antonio seem to get along very well." She smiled.

"Yes. He is a friend I've known for a very long time."

"Friend?" i teased with a smile.

"Oh stop it!" she said as she swatted at me. "Yes friend. I'm a little to old to be looking for love now, don't you think?"

"You can never to be old for love Aunt Rita." She smiled sweetly at me.

"Speaking of love, did Niccolo ask you to the formal?" she said as she raised her eyebrow. I laughed.

"He did, but we are going just as friends."

"Friends?" she smirked. We both began to laugh loudly.

The sky was slowly turning a bright orange as the sun began to set. We both turned quickly when a flock of birds from behind us all took off at once, as if they were startled. ' _how odd.'_ i thought as i looked at Aunt Rita. She wore a concerned look as her brows knitted together.

"Nanu." She called to me. "I forgot i have one more thing i need to go get. Do you think maybe you could just wait here for me? I wont be but a few minutes."

"Sure." I replied "That's fine."

"Okay. Ill be back" she said as she walked off. I watched her until she was out of my eye site. ' _wonder what that was about.'_  I thought to myself. I shrugged and brushed it off and looked around at my surroundings. It was so beautiful the way the orange sky seemed to reflect off of the stone buildings. I looked closer and noticed the buildings had flyers posted on them. With nothing better to do i grabbed one off the wall and sat down on the nearest bench. To my surprise a familiar face was staring back at me off the paper in my hands.  **Wanted**. It read.  _'oh, is being rude and running people over a crime in this town as well?'_ I thought sarcastically as my eyes scanned the paper. But it was the last word, on the bottom of the page, written in red that made my blood run cold and the paper slip from my hands. Before i could even process it i looked up and seen two hazel orbs coming my way.

My mind went blank as he quickly took a seat next to me, pulling his white cloak up and shielding his face. I don't know why i said it. I tried to stop myself, i really did. But before i could catch it, the red printed word came tumbling out of my mouth.

"Assassin."

His head jerked in my direction and finally his eyes met mine. They seemed to soften as realization hit him and he remembered who i was. My heart pounded and my body was stiff with fear. He was so close, i could feels his body heat radiating off of him. My eyes slid from his as i took advantage of our closeness to study his face. It was so handsome. His cheek and jaw bones were strongly defined and a light stubble lay perfectly on the surface of his skin. His lips looked plump and soft and had the perfect curve to them. The sound of footsteps pulled me from my studies as a herd of guards rushed towards us. The Assassin turned his face from mine and pulled his hood further over his head.

I should have yelled for help, i should have alerted the guards and told them where he was. But i didn't. I sat there on the bench next to him and let every single guard run past us. My heart pounded in my head as their footsteps dispersed into the distance, leaving only me and him. He straightened up quickly, making me flinch away in fear. I wasn't looking at him anymore. I stared straight ahead and hoped that i would make it out of this alive. Suddenly i felt a warm pressure atop of my hand in my lap. I looked down to see his strong tanned hand holding mine squeezing it gently.  _'A thank you maybe? Or maybe he can tell i'_ _m frightened and is reassuring me that everything is okay.'_ What ever it was, it felt nice, and comfortable. And i missed it the moment it was gone.

I looked up and watched him as he stood tall and walked off into the town. My chest heaved up and down as i tried to calm myself. I couldn't believe that just happened. After a few moments, i seen my aunt round the corner and i stood.

"Sorry about that now lets go get those-" she stopped. "Nanu are you feeling alright? Your face is pale white." I lifted my hand and touched my cheeks. ' _I should tell her. We should get out of here right now.'_  I thought.

"I'm okay. I think i'm just a little bit tired is all." I said

"Oh dear i am so sorry. How about you head back to the house and ill go pick us out some nice dresses for tomorrow." I looked at her skeptically. "What?" she asked. "Don't trust my fashion sense?" i gave her a smile.

"Okay, thank you Aunt Rita."

"Its no problem dear, now get home and rest up. You've got a big day tomorrow." I smiled and began my walk back home. I found myself looking for him the whole time.  _'Why do i want to see him again? He is a certified killer.'_ I thought to myself. Once i finally made it home i wasted no time crawling into bed. It was early but i was exhausted. And Aunt Rita was right, i did have a big day ahead of me tomorrow. Ill be starting work and attending my first town formal. i closed my eyes and waited for sleep while visions of hazel orbs flashed in my mind. It wasn't long before i drifted into darkness.


	3. Shall We Dance?

The song of the morning birds stirred me from my slumber as I pulled the sheets tighter around my body. I wanted so badly to stay in bed and sleep a bit longer, but I knew I had to arise and begin my day. With a sigh I slid out from underneath the covers warm embrace and headed for the bathroom. The sky was still tinted dark so I grabbed my lantern to illuminate my way. I filled the metal tub with water and climbed in, making sure to scrub very thoroughly. The formal was tonight after all. _'Who knows what could happen.'_ My face flushed at the thought. Niccolo popped into my mind as I was washing my hair.  _'I can't wait to see how he looks all dressed up'_  I thought, and a smile worked its way on to my face. Id finally accepted the fact that I might have a small crush on the guy. My stomach twists into knots every time he comes around. Once I was satisfied with my hygiene, I climbed out of the tub and began to towel off. I wrapped myself in a robe and made my way back to my bedroom. As I dressed and combed through my hair, another face popped into my mind, making me still my movements.

The Assassins perfect features flashed in my mind's eye. My heart rate sped up. I could feel my chest being to heave and my breath came in shallow bursts. ' _What's wrong with me?'_  I thought as I placed my hand over my heart.  _'I don't even know the guy.'_  Once my breathing returned to normal, I fastened my hair atop my head and glanced toward the window. The sun had risen and that meant it was time for me to make my way to the pottery shack. I hurried out of the door and made my way down the dew covered cobblestone streets. I took the path that Aunt Rita showed me yesterday and in just a few minutes, I arrived at my new place of employment.

I took a deep breath and pushed the cloth door aside.

"Good morning." I called as I walked into the building. My eyes met the eyes of a woman who was slightly older than I was.

"Good morning, signora." she said back to me. "You are the new girl, yes?" I nodded my head in affirmation. "Good. Come here and I will show you what you will be doing okay?" I did as she instructed and walked over to her. She began to show me the basics or pottery making. Even though I have been doing this for many years, I didn't interrupt her and listened to her very carefully as she explained the process.

"Make sure you choose the correct clay for your piece. If you do not wish to have to fire your pottery then you will want to go with air dry clay." I nodded as she continued. "We do have a pottery wheel if you are making a bowl or something similar." she said as she gestured to the contraption in the back of the room. "If you wish to make decorative pieces, then sculpting by hand will do. Once you've obtained the shape you desire, it will have to be sanded down so that it is smooth, then it will be glazed or stained. Keep in mind if you choose to stain it, it will also have to get a coat of clear glaze afterword." I glanced up at her to see if she was through. "One more thing." she added. "Try not to waist too many materials. Materials are money, and we do not take kindly to wasting money." I tried my best to hide my smirk and nodded.

"Yes ma'am." She gave me a long look.

"You try." She said as she gestured for me to take a seat and begin. I did as she said and began crafting a small drinking cup. I worked away for a few minutes as she stood there watching me. It didn't bother me in the least. I knew what I was doing and was very confident in my work. I heard the rhythmic tapping of her foot against the ground before she spoke.

"You've done this before?" A smile crept its way onto my lips.

"Once or twice..." she gave a grunt.

"...Very good." she said. But her facial expression was not impressed. And with that she walked over to the pottery wheel and continued working on a piece I assumed was hers.

We worked in silence for hours, her going about her business and me going about mine. I glanced up at her as she walked to the pottery oven. She was a very pretty woman. Her hair was mid length and light blonde and she wore a red tint on her lips. She was on the taller side and had a slender build to her body.

"I didn't catch your name." I said to her from across the room. She glanced over her shoulder at me for a moment before she answered.

"My name is Eva." she said. I gave her a smile. "What is your name?" she asked.

"I'm Nanu."

"Nanu? I've never heard of that before."

"I am Egyptian." I replied.

"Ah, that explains why you are so good at pottery." I gave her a nod. "Once or twice..." she mumbled under her breath. We both looked at each other for a moment before her lips began to curve and a small smile began to form. I smiled back and we shared a laugh. Any tension in the air was gone and we both worked throughout the day with scattered chit chat. Once the work day was through I cleaned my hands and said goodbye to Eva, then headed home.

"Nanu!" Aunt Rita cried as I walked thought the door "We must be quick or you are going to be late." I hurried to her and my mouth dropped.

"Aunt Rita, you look amazing!" She had her hair half up, half down and wore some black tint on her eyelashes and red tint on her lips. Her dress was a beautiful shade of red and was draped with silver crystals.

"Oh thank you dear." she said as she did a quick spin. "Now come along, we must get you ready." I followed her to her room where she handed me my dress. It was perfect. The deep green color was decorated with a few gold trinkets and it hung just below my knees in the front, and dragged the ground in the back.

"Oh Aunt Rita, It's beautiful!" I beamed.

"And to think you doubted me." she said with a laugh. "Now sit and let me fix your hair." I did as she asked and waited as she took my hair down, then began to put it back up again the way she wanted it. "Here, put this on your eyelashes." she said as she handed me a container of black tint. I never had worn it before. It's not that my family couldn't afford it, I had just never really been interested. But seeing as it was a special occasion, I did as she requested and dipped the spool into the liquid and carefully applied it to my lashes. She then handed me another container of red lip stain and I applied it as well. "All done!" she declared when she was satisfied with her work. She stepped back and handed me a mirror. She had my hair twisted up into a fancy bun, but left a few strains hanging down to frame my face. It looked so elegant.

"I love it. Thank you so much Aunt Rita." I said in awe.

"It was my pleasure dear." she said as she clapped her hands together. Suddenly a knock came from the door and she gave me a sly smile. "That must be your date." I blushed as I stood and made my way to the door. When I opened it my mouth dropped. Niccolo stood there in a dark suit with his sandy hair slicked back, his dimples shining as he handed me a single rose.

"You look amazing Nanu." he said as I accepted his gift.

"Thank you. You look very nice as well Niccolo." He smiled and took my hand, lifting it to his soft lips, and brushing them gently against the back of it. I felt like I was swooning. My stomach flipped and I blushed like a little girl. He gripped my hand and wrapped it around his arm.

"You also look very lovely Miss Rita." He said with a smile.

"Well aren't you charming Mr. Niccolo." She said as she touched his shoulder. "Oh, one more thing Nanu." she rushed to her bedroom for a moment before emerging with two glittery masks, one Gold and one Silver. She handed me the Gold one. "It's customary for the women to wear these. I thanked her as I slid it carefully onto my face. "Wonderful, shall we go then?" I nodded and followed as Niccolo led the way.

As we got closer to the square I could hear the faint boom of fireworks and see them flashing in the night sky. The town was decorated with hanging red lanterns and the children ran around with sparklers. Streamers were spread across every building and street musicians played their music as people danced and drank the night away. There were so many people packed into the square you couldn't see past the crowd. Everyone was having a great time.

"Oh Rita, my dear you look absolutely amazing!" A loud voice boomed from behind us. We turned to see Antonio walking our way.

"Antonio darling, thank you." Aunt Rita said as they exchanged kisses.

"Nice to see the lovely Nanu again. How did your first day go?" He asked me.

"It was wonderful, thank you." I answered.

"Glad to hear it! Miss Rita would you care to share a dance with this old man?" He asked as he offered his hand to her.

"Oh I thought you'd never ask, old man!" She sang as she took it, throwing a wink over her shoulder to me. They walked hand and hand to the square and began dancing like all the other couples were. Niccolo took my hand and guided me over to a vendor who was selling wine.

"Would you like a glass?" He asked in my ear.

"Yes, please" I answered with a smile. He asked the lady who was working the stand for two glasses of their best wine, then handed me mine with a smile.

"What would you like to do Miss Nanu?"

"Hmm..." I thought for a brief moment. "Let's sit and talk." he flashed me a smile.

"As you wish." we walked over the fountain that was all lit up and had a seat. "So" he started. "What's your story?"

"Well," I said as I tapped my fingertips against the glass, wondering how much I wanted to reveal about my life to him. I had only met him a few days ago, but I felt like I could be myself with him. I trusted him. "I was born and raised in Egypt. When I turned six I began helping my family run our pottery shop that we owned. My parents would travel here a few times a year to trade the things we made and to bring back some goods they picked up here. I was always really excited to hear their tales of Italy and would practically beg them to take me with them every time..." I smiled at the thought and so did he.

"So did they take you?" He asked. I pressed my lips together and looked into my wine glass.

"No, they never did." I said sadly. "They always said it was too dangerous here for me..." He knitted his eyebrows together.

"Crime has increased recently since the Assassins came about." I felt my breath catch as the word left his lips. I cleared my throat.

"Assassins?" I asked as I tried to play it cool, bringing my glass to my lips and taking a sip.

"Yeah, It's a group of people who banded together and killed people trying to over throw the Templars." I bit my lip.  _'He is bad news.'_ I thought. My heart grew heavy. I wanted so badly for him to be a good man. "They don't understand," He continued, his voice getting agitated. "You can't have peace without structure, and they want to take that structure away from us. Well I won't let them. As long as I can, I'll fight them with everything in me." He reached down and gripped my hand softly. I raised my eyes to meet his. "I have to keep the ones I care for safe..."He said as he raised his other hand and cupped my cheek, softly rubbing his thumb against my skin. I smiled and leaned into him. His touch made my heart flutter. He slipped his hand from my cheek to my chin, cupping it and tilting it upward slightly. His eyes burned into mine as he spoke. "May I?"

It took me a moment to realize what he was I nodded slightly and began to bring my face closer to his. His lips were a breath away from mine when a young guard who was working security for the formal yelled to him.

"Niccolo!" He stopped his advancement and pulled away quickly, a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

"Yeah?" He called back with agitation.

"He is here. We are hot on his trail. You want in?" This made Niccolo's face light up.

"Yes! I'll be right there." He turned to me with a guilty expression on his face. "Florence has its own Assassin who I've been tracking for a while now. It means everything to me that we bring him down." He said as he stood and handed me his glass. My mouth hung open as his words began to sink in.

"He is here now?" At the formal?" I asked

"Not for long." he said with a wink. "Duty calls Nanu, I do hope you understand and forgive me for my absence." I nodded slowly before he turned and ran to the guard who was waiting on him. I watched them disappear into the night as my heart began to thud in my head. My body felt numb as I glanced around.  _'He is here. With all these people around. All these children. Every one of us is in danger. He is an Assassin. He kills people. You heard Niccolo explain all that just now.'_ I tried to reason with myself as I sat the glasses down and glanced around frantically. ' _Besides, what would you do if you found him? You can't save him.'_  I stood and began to quickly walk out of the square and deeper into town, scanning the area as I went.  _'He doesn't deserve saving.'_  The roar of the crowd now very faint as I hit the middle of town. Suddenly my eyes caught a streak of white as it went down a dark alleyway.  _'There!'_  I hiked up my dress and began to run after it. My heals clicked loudly against the pavement with every step.

I turned the corner quickly and my steps slowed. The only thing to be seen down the deep alleyway was a couple of dumpsters and a few large wooden crates. I continued walking forward anyway.  _'I don't understand. I know this is where it went. Even if it wasn't him, it was something...'_  after a few moments the echo of footsteps that didn't belong to me came from behind me and I turned around quickly. What I saw sent shivers down my spine. There was a group of at least 4 men, dressed in rugged clothes, heading my way.  _'Thieves.'_ I thought.

"Well, look what we have here gentlemen." The one in front said. They stumbled as they walked, clearly having had way too much to drink. "What a pretty little alley cat." He said as he drew closer. I backed up as far as I could until my back hit the wall. "Anything we can help you with kitten?" The leader asked as he stood in front of me. He dragged his eyes sickeningly slow down my body, stopping at my exposed upper thigh. A smile spread over his dark features and I looked down. My hands were still holding my dress and had somehow pulled it up way to high. I quickly dropped it and wrapped my arms around myself.

"I... took a wrong turn is all..." I said with a shaky voice.

"Yes." one of the other men said. "You most certainly did." My heart pounded as they sprang towards me. The leader gripped my wrists and twisted me around, slamming my upper body hard into the stone wall behind me. My cheek pressed into the cold surface as I cried out.

"Don't!" I tried to jerk away, but the man holding my wrists pulled them painfully high behind my back. Tears began to form in my eyes once I realized I couldn't move. I could feel one of the other men gather my dress at the bottom and lift it up, exposing my bottom half. "No!" I cried.

"You look good enough to eat." I heard one of them hiss into my ear. The smell of beer smothered me and made me gag. He ran his hand from the back of my knee, slowly up my leg, and then he slipped it between my thighs. I jerked violently.

"Get off of me! "I yelled through clenched teeth.

"Vocal that one is." Another man said from behind me. The one in my ear gave a chuckle and pressed his fingers against my womanhood over my undergarments. I screamed.

"Don't. Touch. Me!"

Suddenly I heard the loud thump of heavy boots hit the cobblestone road directly behind us.

"Merda." the leader cursed under his breath. "Men, get him!" He yelled as he released me. I heard the sound of swords unsheathing as I spun around.

There he stood, cloaked in white, and ready to fight. I watched as everything seemed to happen in slow motion. One of the men charged him first, then the rest followed suit. The Assassin jumped toward the first one, dodged the swing of his sword, then knocked him on his back. I heard the faint click of the small dagger he had hidden under his wrist then watched as he plunged it deep into the first man's neck. The second man came from the side, raising his sward with both hands then bringing it down towards the Assassin. He countered it easily, taking hold of the man's wrists and plunging his own weapon through his stomach. The second man's eyes glossed over as he fell lifeless to the ground. The third man quickly swung a long spear at the Assassin who dodged it flawlessly then sent his fist crashing into the man's face. He gripped the handle of his weapon, pulling it from the man's hands as he kicked him away, then he spun it quickly around and stabbed it through the man's chest. The Assassin dropped the spear and turned to the leader of the group who was running quickly out of the alleyway and down the street. He took a few quick steps in his direction, then stilled. He must have decided against going after him because after a long moment, he slowly turned to face me.

His face was hidden under his hood as he began to take cautious steps towards me.  _'Run!'_  I thought.  _'You just watched him murder three men'_  then suddenly his voice cut sharp through the silent night.

"Are you okay, signora?" He asked. His deep voice coated perfectly with a thick Italian accent. I didn't answer. I didn't move. I just stood and watched him with my knees shaking beneath me. He stopped moving all together and looked as if he was going to turn and walk the other way until we heard the thundering sound of guards rushing down the alleyway towards us.

"There he is." They yelled. "Don't let them get away!"

The Assassin cursed and walked quickly to my side. He slipped one of his strong arms around my waist, lifting me from the ground. His voice was genital but held authority when he spoke again.

"Hold on tight signora, I do not wish to drop you." I did as he instructed and wrapped my arms securely around his neck. His body flush against mine, his earthy sent engulfing my senses as his breath washed over me. He was purely  _intoxicating._  My heart plunged in fear as he began to scale the building. I clung tighter to his body. Once we reached the roof he spoke again.

"Where do you live?"  _'Are you kidding? You are not about to give your address to an-'_

"Via Roma." I answered. He gave a small nod and we began to move again. He scaled buildings and jumped from roof to roof all while holding me in his arms. The whole time I kept my eyes shut tight and prayed that id make it home in one piece... and stay that way once I got there. His body was warm against mine and I could feel the definition of his muscles underneath his cloak. Even after the night I had, I found comfort once again in his touch. Once my feet hit against solid ground I finally opened my eyes. He had went straight though my window and sat me down in my bedroom. My eyes slowly lifted to his face as he raised his hands and pulled his hood down. He was stunning. His chocolate colored hair was pulled up into a hair tie and his hazel eyes burned into mine.

"You should not wear that dress again in town," He said is he gestured towards my clothes. "The guards who saw you will recognize it." I gave a small nod. "Burning it wouldn't be a bad idea." he added. After a moment of silence he walked back to my window as if he was going to leave.

"Wait! I called as I reached out for his arm. He turned and raised an eyebrow at me.

"T-Thank you." I stuttered out. His eyes slipped to the floor as he spoke.

"I am sorry." I knitted my eyebrows together.

"For what?" He was silent for a long moment before he answered.

"... That I could not reach you sooner." He turned and climbed from through my window.

"Why did you help me?" I asked. I couldn't help it. He was an Assassin. I had to know what was in it for him. My question didn't seem to come as a surprise to him.

"Because you needed it." He answered. "I may be an... Assassin... But I would like to believe that I am not a monster..." And with that, He left.


	4. Don't Use Your Brain

The next days that past were uneventful; I'd wake up, dress, and then head out for work. After work id head straight home, help make dinner, clean, wash clothes, anything that needed to be done that day. Then I would retire early and head up to my bedroom where I would spend the majority of my night staring out of the window. The night of the formal really took a toll on me. Every time I would leave the house, I would be afraid that some thieves were going to snatch me up. I was constantly checking my surroundings for them, or for anyone that looked suspicious for that matter. On the days that Niccolo and I worked together, I'd ask him to walk me home after our shift was over. He always did.

I had been thinking about the Assassin a lot also. The last words he spoke to me rang in my mind.

_"I may be an Assassin, but I would like to believe that I am not a monster."_

He was so confusing to me. He killed people. That makes him a bad man. But, he also saved me from those thieves when he didn't have to. He could have looked the other way. He protected me. That makes him a good man... doesn't it? I couldn't make sense of it. I know the things does are wrong. But when he touches me, I feel like there's no safer place than when I am with him. I just couldn't shake him from my mind. It had been a week now since I last saw him. It amazes me how worried I was becoming. I knew that was foolish of me. I watched him take out 3 men in less than one minute. I knew he was more than capable of taking care of himself. But still, the guards pursue him heavy every day. One day they were bound to get lucky...

I pushed that thought to the far backs of my mind as I continued on my way walking down the street towards work.

"Hey Nanu." a cheerful voice called to me. I looked up to see Niccolo sweeping the street in front of the pottery shack. I gave him a smile and walked through the door. "How are you this morning?" he asked as he trailed behind me.

"I'm alright, how are you?" I said as I grabbed my apron and began to put it on.

"I'm pretty good." he said as his eyes watched my hands fumble with the ties. "Here, let me help you." he said as he walked behind me. He gently took the ties out of my hands and began to tie them securely around my waist, brushing his hands softly against the small of my back before letting them drop. "There" His touch sent shivers down my spine. I couldn't decide if I liked the contact, or hated it.

"Thanks." I said as I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and turned to fill my metal tub with water.

"Nanu, are you alright?" he asked softly behind me.

"Yeah," I replied with my back to him. "Why do you ask?"

"Because," he began as he touched my arm, gently turning me around to face him. "You haven't looked me in the eyes in days" he gave me a half smile. I sighed and dropped my head, a gnawing guilt stirring in my stomach.  _'What's wrong with me?'_  I thought.  _'A week ago I was fantasizing about getting him in bed, now I can't even look him in the face.'_

"I'm sorry." I replied. "I just have a lot going on." after a small silence he spoke again.

"Have I done something wrong?" He asked. My heart broke a little when I head the sadness laced in his voice. I slowly raised my eyes to meet his.

"No Niccolo, not at all." I reassured him. "You have been nothing but a complete gentleman to me." I could feel his eyes carefully searching mine for the truth.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" he asked. I smiled. He was trying so hard to make me feel better. I shook off the uneasy feeling I had and stepped towards him, sliding my arms around him and laying my head on his chest.

"Thank you, Niccolo." I said against his shirt. After a moment he relaxed, then wrapped his arms around me and placed his head atop mine.

"Of course, Nanu." he whispered into my hair. Even though I couldn't make since of what I was feeling lately, this felt nice.

"Uhh hmm." someone cleared their throat loudly. Me and Niccolo jumped apart from each other and turned to see Eva standing in the door way.

"Well, don't we look cozy this morning." she said as she strutted by, grabbing her apron and selecting her clay for the day.

"Good morning Eva." Niccolo said as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Not as good as yours." she said over her shoulder as she began to work. He gave a small chuckle and went back to sweeping. I also began to work on a piece I had started a few days ago. It was a decorative piece of a lady kneeling to get water from a stream. We all worked in silence for quite some time. I looked up halfway through my day to see Eva make her way to where Niccolo was. He had been glazing some finished pieces. As they talked she would slide her hand over his arm or nudge him softly with her elbow. Niccolo didn't shy away from her touch either.  _'Now it makes_  sense. I thought. _They have some kind of history together.'_ Niccolo caught my stare and dropped his eyes from mine. His body went stiff and he stopped responding to her advances. After a few more fail attempts she sighed and walked back to her work. We worked the rest of the day like that until it was time to leave. Niccolo pulled the gate down over the door and latched it before he turned to me.

"Ready to go?" he asked. I nodded. I looked towards the square and seen the sun beginning to set. It was always a beautiful sight to see. Niccolo's words brought me back to reality "You remember the assassin who ran into you your first day here?" he asked. I knit my eyebrows together.

"Yes..." I said slowly, unsure of what he was going to say next.

"We have figured out that he travels by the roof tops. That's why it's so hard to keep track of him."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, so we've placed archers around town hopping to maybe get a better shot at him. That should make you sleep sounder, right?" My stomach fell. But I nodded in agreement.

"Are they watching the rest of us too?" I asked only half serious. Niccolo chuckled.

"Well, not specifically, but it is a better vantage point to spot any crime happening." That actually did make me feel better. When we arrived at my house I thanked him for walking me home. But as I turned to open the door he stopped me.

"Nanu. About today, with Eva..."

"It's okay." I reassured him.

"No, it's not." he said. "We used to go together a while back, but things got complicated so I ended it." I pondered on this for a moment.

"Do you still have feelings for her?" I asked even though I shouldn't have. It wasn't my place. He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, thinking before he responded.

"I don't feel for her, the way I feel for you." I drew in a breath. I knew he felt something for me, I could tell. And had he told me this a week ago, my response would have been completely different.

"Niccolo," I sighed. "I feel something for you too, but I don't think it's the same feeling you have for me." I said carefully.

"I don't believe that." he said. I was taken aback.

"I'm sorry?" I said in confusion.

"I think you do feel the same. I think you are just confused right now. And that's okay. I'm willing to wait while you figure things out. But when you hugged me today, I felt it. And I know you felt it too." He wasn't wrong. I did feel something. And maybe I felt something stronger than what I would care to admit, But I wasn't sure if it would ever be what he wanted it to be.

"Niccolo." I began, but was cut off when I felt his gentle lips brush softly against mine. It was quick and harmless and it lasted less than a second. I gasped and lifted my fingers to my mouth as his eyes met mine.

"I'm sorry." he said "I had to do that at least once. But I promise, I won't do it again until you ask." he said with a small smile.

"What makes you think I'll ask?" I breathed out.

"You will." he said with a wink. "Have a good night, Nanu." and with that, he turned and walked away.

I stood there for a moment longer with my fingers pressed to my lips replaying what had just happened in my mind.  _'He kissed me. Niccolo just kissed me, and it was nothing like I thought it would be. There were no fireworks or music in my mind. There was no eternal connection that I thought I would feel. It was just, nice.'_  I sighed and opened the door. Aunt Rita was cooking dinner in the kitchen so I went to her.

"Hello Aunt Rita."

"Oh hello dear! How was work today?" she asked.

"It was good. How was your day?"

"Wonderful! I took a few pieces I finished sowing today into town and sold every single item." she exclaimed proudly.

"That's great." I said with a smile. I washed my hands and began to help her cook.

"How is Niccolo doing lately? I haven't seen him in a few days." My cheeks tinted red.

"He is doing well." My voice went up an octave. She looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I cleared my throat. "He, uh, kissed me a moment ago." when I looked up at her I thought her mouth would fall apart with how hard it dropped.

"Did he?!" she exclaimed. "Oh that boy! Tell me about it!" and so I did. I told her almost everything. I did however leave out any mention of the Assassin and what had happened that night at the formal. "He is so cocky that one is!" she said with a laugh. "But you said you didn't feel the way you thought you would. Why dear? I thought you liked him?"

"That's the thing, I thought I did too..." I trailed off.

"Is there someone else?" she said after a long pause.

"Someone else?" I repeated. The Assassins prefect features flashed in my mind's eye, causing my heart rate to climb.  _'Why does he have that effect on me?'_  I thought to myself.  _'Surely I don't have a crush on an assassin. Is he the reason why my feelings for Niccolo have changed?'_

"Nanu?" I heard Aunt Rita calling to me. I shook my head and looked at her. She had her eyebrows raised. "There is isn't there?" she said in awe.

"No, not really." I said hurriedly

"Not really?"

"Not at all." I corrected. She simply stared at me for a long moment. I sighed and added "Not yet..." A huge smile began to spread across her face.

"Not yet." she said in agreement. We both laughed and sat down together to eat. "So, does all of this have anything to do with you being so," she seemed to choose her words carefully. "Out of character lately?" I sighed.

"I think maybe it does." I answered as I pushed my food around my plate.

"Well, don't let it get to you dearie, and don't fight it." I looked up at her. Her eyes held resolve in them "You can't force yourself to love someone. And you can't force yourself to not love someone. Both things will destroy you. Just listen to your heart and shut your mind off for a bit, love. It will show you what is right for you." I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from my chest and I began to breathe easier.

"Thank you, Aunt Rita." I simply said to her. After we ate and hung the laundry up to dry we both said goodnight and went to our rooms.

I changed into my night clothes and opened my window, letting the cool night breeze wash over me as I slipped my eyes close. I thought of the Assassin again. His beautiful hazel eyes flashing in my mind. I felt a content smile tug at my lips. Then I remembered something Niccolo had said to me on the way home.

_"…We've placed archers around town hopping to maybe get a better shot at him."_

My eyes popped open and I frowned. I began to scan the rooftops for any sign of him, as I have done every night for a week straight.  _'My window sits to low'_  I thought.  _'If I could only get a little higher...'_  a thought crossed my mind and I leaned out of my window a bit, glancing around for a place to put my hands.  _'Maybe I can'_  I gripped the sides of the window seal securely as I slowly began to ease myself up, putting one bare foot up, then the other. I pulled myself to my feet and stood in the window, my heart raced.  _'Okay, where next.'_  I thought. I leaned forward again and scanned the side of the building, looking for a foot hold. I caught sight of staggered bricks that lined the wall of my building.  _'I can do this'_ I thought as I took a deep breath. Letting go of the window with one hand, I reached for the first brick, gripping it tight before I stepped over with one foot. I let go with my second hand and eased it along the building to keep my balance before I gripped another brick. I shifted my weight and put it all on my foot that was placed on the brick and lifted my second leg seeking out another brick. I found one and steadied myself. The wind whipped around me and adrenaline coursed through my veins. I began to climb the wall, carefully placing my feet, then pulling myself up higher with my arms until my fingertips finally reached the roof top. I took one more step up on the bricks and began to pull myself up to the roof when suddenly the bricks under my feet gave way cracking underneath me. I screamed and reached out for the roof, latching on with only my hands, my feet dangling beneath me. I turned my head and looked down. The ground seemed to be a million miles away. My heart thudded in my ears the wind blew my night gown around me hard, making it even more difficult to pull myself up. Then I felt it. My fingertips began to slip. I tried to dig my toes into anything that I could, anything to give me leverage, but to no prevail. The more I tried to pull the more I slipped. Right as my fingers slipped from the building and I began to scream, and hand shot out from the roof top. Grabbing me and pulling me up with ease.

I clutched at my chest and gasped for air, grateful to be on solid ground... well, kind of. I looked at the man who was crouched in front of me holding tightly onto my arms. Chocolate colored hair danced in the wind beneath his white hood as his wide eyes bore into mine.

"What do you think you are doing?" His thick voice demanded. His disapproval was written clearly on his beautiful face. "You could have gotten killed just now!"

"I was looking for you." I answered back, straining my voice over the sound of the wind.

"What? Why?" he asked as he knit his eyebrows together.

"To warn you that they have put archers on the roofs. They are looking for you." He stayed like that, holding me by the arms and looking at me for a long moment.

"So, you wanted to warn me... that there were dangerous men on the roof looking to kill me... so you climb on the  ** _roof_**... dressed in a white night gown... to find me?"

"Yeah." I answered. He just raised his eyebrows and stared at me. His words began to slowly sink in and I realized how stupid of an idea this really was. He must have seen the realization on my face because his beautiful lips began to curve in a small smile.

"Come on signora," He chuckled into my ear. "Let's get you back down, hmm?" my face was red with embarrassment as I nodded. He slipped his strong arms around my waist and made his way over to the edge. I wrapped mine carefully around his neck, holding to him tight as we descended. He made it look so easy as he slid down the wall effortlessly and swung through my bedroom window, setting me down.

"Thanks." I mumbled under my breath. He chuckled in response. "I was told not to use my brain today, okay?" I said in defense.

"Well you most certainly accomplished that." He said with a smirk, showing his perfect pearl white teeth. I crossed my arms and glared at him. "Hey," He said as he lifted his warm palm and placed it on my cheek, cupping it gently. My eyes widened and my heart began to race. "I am glad you care so much, I truly appreciate It." he placed a single stroke against my cheek with the pad of his thumb, before removing his hand. His touch was addicting. I yearned for it again. "I must go." he said as he began to talk towards the window.

"You can use the front door you know..." I said to him. He laughed.

"Such is not the way of the Assassin." He began to climb up onto the window seal.

"Wait, can I at least know your name? I'll tell you mine." He paused for a moment before sticking his head back inside.

"And what is your name, Signora?" he asked in his deep velvet voice.

"It's Nanu." I replied. He gave me a smoldering smile.

"Till we meet again, Nanu." and with that he slide from the window, down into the dark streets below.

After I watched him disappear into the night, I closed my window and climbed into bed. Even though I was a little upset he didn't give me his name, I have to admit. It felt good to not use my brain and accept the simple truth. I have undeniable feelings for the Assassin.


	5. Whats In A Name?

A few days had past, again with no word from the Assassin. My worry was for nothing, I'm sure. But still, I did worry. Now that I had accepted the fact that I did harbor some sort of feelings for that hazel eyed man, I had become hyper aware of him. It was like I could feel him around me, even though he wasn't there. His flawless Italian accent constantly echoed through my mind. I was starting to think I was dangerously addicted to this man.

Niccolo didn't stop his advances towards me either, but he didn't push it too far. And that was good. I really cared for him. I didn't want to lose his friendship. He held a special place in my heart that much I was sure of.

I had taken a bath this morning and had just finished dressing for the day. I wore a knee length navy blue dress, with a leather belt around my waist. I had carefully washed my long black hair and wore it down since the pottery shack didn't require my services today. I did however need to go by there and pick up my wages for the week. With a happy smile on my face a made my way down stairs and into the kitchen. There was no sight of Aunt Rita this morning. I assumed she was still in bed. Seeing as it was just me and I didn't feel like putting a whole lot of effort into breakfast this morning, I just grabbed an apple and made my way out of the door.

People were rushing around as they usually were in the morning time. I walked with a smile on my face, greeting those who walked by, or giving someone a friendly wave from across the street. I felt great. I had let go of the things I couldn't control and it lifted a huge weight from my shoulders. Of course I was still weary of dark alleyways, but overall I didn't let the fear I had felt before consume me anymore.

I stepped inside the pottery shack and spotted Antonio and Eva working away.

"Nanu! How lovely to see you today my darling!" Antonio called to me. "Have you come to provide free labor to me?" I gave a small laugh.

"Not exactly."

"Oh." He gave an exaggerated sigh. "So I figured. Here to collect your pay then?" I gave him a smile and a nod. "Very well." He said as he stood, walking over to a drawer and pulling out a pouch of coins. "Here you go!" he said with a smile as he handed me the pouch. My eyes widened slightly.

"All of this, sir?" I said as I eyed the mound of coins.

"Yes!" he said proudly. "Your pieces have sold very well. Keep up the good work signora and there's plenty more where that came from!" He gave me a playful wink.

"Thank you." I said with a smile as I tucked the pouch away in my bag I carried with me. He gave me a nod and continued with his work. I looked towards Eva. She had a troubled expression on her face while she looked down at her clay. Then a thought crossed my mind. I held my head high and walked over to where she was seated.

"Hello Eva." I greeted her. She looked up at me with a skeptical expression on her face.

"Hello…"

"So, I was wondering when you get your break for lunch if you would like to go grab something to eat with me." I asked. I have to admit, I was a little nervous. I really had no idea if she would even accept.

"You wish to eat lunch, with me?" She asked as if I was pulling some kind of joke on her.

"Yeah." I replied. "If you already have other plans then I understand."

"I have no other plans. Sure. Ill grab lunch with you." She said as she continued to eye me suspiciously.

"Great! So I'll come back in an hour or so and we will go. Is that okay?" She just gave me a nod in reply. I returned it with a smile.

I left the shack and pulled out my money pouch.  _'Wow.'_  I thought  _'He must really be pleased with my work.'_  I decided that I needed to pick up a few things for the house. It shouldn't always be up to Aunt Rita to buy the things we needed. So I went around town the vendors and purchased some fruit, vegetables, and other things I believed we would need for the next few days. Before I went back to pick up Eva for lunch, I swung by the house to drop off the things I bought. I didn't want them to spoil in the sun. I walked through the door and was greeted by Aunt Rita.

"Oh hello dear! I was wondering if you had gone out on the town."

"I did." I replied, setting my things on the counter top. "I'm actually about to head back out in a minute."

"Is that so?" she asked as she began to help me put the produce away. I gave her a nod.

"I'm going to take Eva to lunch." Aunt Rita raised her eyebrows at me.

"Oh?" I had told her of mine and Eva's awkward encounters. "Why is that?" she asked. I shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I would just like to get to know her I guess." Aunt Rita smiled at me.

"You are so much like your mom. You have a wonderful heart." I felt my cheeks tint at the complement, but I returned her smile none the less. I headed for the door to make my way back to the pottery shack.

"I'll see you when I get home, okay?"

"Have fun dear!" She called to me as I closed the door.

I made my way back to the shack and pulled the cloth door aside. I spotted Eva washing her hands.

"I'll just be one moment." She said when she seen me.

"Take your time." I said back with a smile. Once she had cleaned off, we made our way to the market to grab some fresh food. "So, what would you like to eat?" I asked her. She was silent for a long while. I almost thought she wasn't going to answer me. Then finally she spoke.

"Have you had the bean soup from the vendor in the square?" I looked over at her.

"No I haven't."

"Would you like to try some?" she asked.

"Yeah, that sounds good." I said with a smile. She led the way to the vendor stall where she asked for two bowls of her Bean soup. The older woman behind the stall walked over to her big kettle over an open fire she had built and began to spoon us out some soup. She handed the bowls to us along with a piece of homemade bread. I handed the woman money enough to pay for our meals.

"You don't have to do that." Eva said to me.

"It's okay." I replied. "I want to." She simply nodded. We walked over to a nearby bench and began to eat. An awkward silence fell over us at first, so I cleared my throat to speak.

"So, I know we maybe haven't gotten off on the right foot." She looked at me as she bit off a piece of bread. "I'd like to get to know you better, if you don't mind." She chewed thoughtfully before answering.

"Okay, what do you wish to know?" I smiled.

"Tell me a little about yourself." She took another bite, then sat her food down to the side, folded her hands in her lap and began.

"I am originally from Verona, one of the wealthiest cities in Italy. My parents dealt in exporting gems to various sales people all over Italy. They were highly thought of and made a great living. We lived very extravagantly. I never wanted for anything as a child. When I grew older, my family assumed I would be taking over their legacy, as their only child. When I told them I had no interest in gems, they thought I had lost my mind. They would show them to me and say 'Look Eva! Look how pretty it is.' But to me, they just looked like shiny rocks. It wasn't long until I found what I really wanted to do with my life. The first time I made pottery was life changing. All my life I had been trained to believe what shines the brightest was the prettiest, but it was there, holding that dirty, muddy clay that I realized they were wrong. The prettiest things in life are the things you sculpt with your own two hands, the things that come from your heart. Those are the most beautiful."

My mouth hung open as I listened to her talk. Her story touched me. Her parents had shunned her for not wanting to take over the family business. She left Verona, and after traveling through a few towns, she found Florence. The people here were mostly low class.

"But to me." Eva said as she lifted her hand, gesturing to the people walking the streets. "These people are beautiful, and just like all beautiful things in life; they just need a little sculpting."

_'Amazing.'_  I thought.  _'Behind her hard exterior, she is so caring and insightful.'_

"And that is my story." She finished. I smiled.

"That's a pretty amazing story." She simply nodded.

"I lost my parents a few years ago." I said to her, attempting to show her we shared a common pain.

"I know." She answered. She must have seen the surprised look on my face because she continued. "Niccolo explained it to me."

"Oh, right." I said. "So, you and Niccolo…" She gave a beautiful smile.

"We share a past together. " She explained. "For many years he kept me company. But I started to see something in him that I didn't like. My parents. I believe he too only cares for things that shine." Her unexplained meaning registering with me loud and clear. "The more he showed his colors, the less I loved him. Till eventually I broke it off."

"Wait." I interrupted. "You broke it off?"

"Yes." She said with a smirk. "Did he tell you different?" I gave a small nod. "That is to be expected. Niccolo never did like to be known as the bad guy." She finished eating and stood. "I have to go back to work now." I started to stand as well. "No," she said. "You sit and finish your meal."

"Are you sure?" I asked. She nodded.

"Thank you for a nice time. I am glad I got lunch with you today. We will do it again soon, yes?"

"Yes." I said with a happy smile. She said her goodbye and walked back to the shack. I finished up my meal and walked back home where I found Aunt Rita gathering water to wash clothes in.

"Need a hand?" She looked up and spotted me.

"Oh hello dear. Yes that would be wonderful." I rolled up my sleeves and grabbed the scrub board. "How was lunch?" she asked.

"It was very nice." I answered with a smile.

"Really?" I chuckled.

"Yes. I actually learned a lot about her. She seems to be an okay person."

"Well that is wonderful dear." She said.

We scrubbed the clothes then hung them to dry. After we were done with that we swept and mopped the floors. Aunt Rita went to bathe while I began dinner, then shortly after we ate and said our goodnights, and headed for our rooms. The night was cold so I shut my windows before I climbed into bed. Tonight I was very tired. My body seemed to be worn down by all the work we had done. It didn't take long for sleep to wash over me.

I was in it so deep; I didn't even wake when my window burst open. The cool wind chilled me and I began to stir.

"Go away…" I mumbled half in my dream land and I pulled the covers tighter around me. Somewhere in my slumber I heard the sound of heavy footsteps in my room. I grumbled once more and knit my eyebrows together in frustration. Suddenly I felt a warm pressure on my lower stomach. I jerked awake and sat up gasping, my hand wrapping around whatever it was that woke me.

"…Nanu…" a strained velvet voice called to me. My eyes began to adjust to the dark and a tall man, cloaked in white stood beside my bed, grasping his stomach, and wearing a pained expression. I gasped once I realized who he was.

"Assassin? What are you doing here?" I said in a panic, but he didn't answer. His face was contorted in agony and his body was hunched over. It was then I spotted it. The tail of an arrow, sticking out from his abdomen. "Oh my god." I said in a hushed voice as my heart dropped. I quickly flipped the covers off of me and jumped out of bed. He began trying to talk again but I stopped him. "No, don't talk, don't move. Just stay right there." I instructed as I went to my dresser and pulled out some pieces of cloth. Then went into my desk and found a needle and thread. Finally, I dropped to my knees in the floor and reached underneath my bed, my fingers brushing against the cold glass of a 130 proof Vodka bottle. I heard the faint chuckles coming from behind me and my face reddened. "No laughing either." I demanded.

Once I had everything I needed gathered up I looked at him and my heart sank, knowing the amount of pain I was about to inflict on him.

"Okay." I said as I bit my lip. "This is the hard part." His breathing was strained.

"…Please…" He managed to groan out.

"Okay. Um, do you have a knife?" He slid one hand into his cloak and I heard the sound of a weapon unsheathing before he handed me his knife. "I'll have to cut this..." I said as I pointed to his cloak. He gave me a nod of approval.

I chewed on my lip as I worked, carefully slicing through the thick fabric that covered him. It took a long moment before I was finished and the tattered garment fell to the ground. The sight that was before me was stunning. Aside from the arrow protruding from his abdomen, He looked like a Greek god. The moonlight that poured through the window perfectly illuminated every hill and valley of his muscular chest and his skin looked deliciously smooth and tan. He was perfection embodied in a man. I shook my head and gathered my wits about me. I noticed the arrow was more towards the left side of his stomach.

"It looks like it missed all your vital organs. That's really good." I gently gripped the wooden shaft. "Let me see what we are working with…" I said as I gave the arrow a small tug. He stiffened up and groaned in pain, but the arrow didn't budge. "I'm sorry. I'm going to have to… push it through…" His face showed his worry clear as day. This wasn't going to be easy. I took one piece of cloth and rolled it up. "Here," I said. "Bite down on this." His eyes held dread, but he did as I asked. "I'm going to break the arrow." I said as I gripped the wood carefully, gently snapping the tail end off. He jerked slightly. "Okay, I said lowly. "Here we go…" I stepped close to him, placing one hand around his back, where I knew the arrow would break the skin, and the other on the end of the arrow. With my arms wrapped around him, I could feel the heat radiating off of his bare torso. Had we been in another scenario, I would have been in heaven.

"I'm sorry." I said to him. Then I gave the first push. He gripped my arms tight and yelled loudly in pain as the arrow traveled through him. Sweat instantly began to form on his skin and his breathing was labored. I gave him a moment before we went again.

"Again." I said as I gave the second push, the arrow getting closer to the skin. He threw his head back and bit down hard on the rag as agonizing groans escaped his lips. His body began to tremble and his grip on my arms grew painful. I placed my head against his chest, my lips brushing over his damp skin as I spoke in a whisper.

"Last one." And with that I gave the last push, sending the arrow breaking through the skin with a sickening pop. I quickly pulled it from his skin. He placed his head on mine and moaned tiredly into my hair, his body relaxing as the pain began to subside slightly. I dropped the arrow from my hands behind his back and wrapped my arms around him. "I'm sorry." I said once more as my voice cracked. The shaking of his body stopped and he released my arms, sliding his hands to my waist and holding me against him. We stayed like that for a long while holding each other as I listened to his heart beat return to normal. I didn't want to leave his touch, but I knew I had to. I slid out of his arms and he slowly raised his head. "I have to clean it." He gave me a nod.

I grabbed the Vodka and poured it on a piece of cloth as he removed his from his mouth and leaned his elbows behind him on the window seal. "This will sting." I warned before I pressed it against his wound. He gave a sharp hissing noise through his clench teeth, but overall it wasn't that bad. After the sting went away I began to clean and sew up his wound. After a few minutes of silence, I spoke.

"I was afraid this would happen." He laughed.

"You were worried about me?" He questioned amusement apparent in his now hoarse voice.

"Yes." I said matter-of-factly. "It's been days since we last spoke. I didn't know if you were even still alive."

"You have so little faith in me? It would take more than an arrow to bring me down." He said confidently.

"Not if the arrow hits you in the right place." I countered. He gave another laugh. I watched him as he laid his head back, his chocolate hair contrasting against the white moonlight that dripped across his skin. "Why won't you tell me your name?" I asked. He lifted his head and looked thoughtfully at me. I stilled my hands and looked back at him, my eyes demanding an answer from him. After a long pause he answered me.

"I do not wish to involve you in my world. To give you my name, would be to invite you into my dangerous reality. There are some things even I cannot protect you from." My irritation grew.

"Well that's not really your call now is it?" He raised his eyebrows at me. I continued. "If I didn't want to be involved with you then I wouldn't have asked. It shouldn't be solely up to you if I get to be in your world or not. Besides, I didn't get to decide if you should be in mine." He thought about this for a moment.

"If you could go back and change it, would you let me in your world?" He asked. I smiled.

"Yes, I'd let you in my world every time." A smile graced his perfect features and he laid his head back again. We stayed in a comfortable silence as I finished stitching him up and putting bandages over his wound. "You'll need to change that at least once a day to keep it clean." I said as he straightened up.

"I will." He said in his beautiful Italian voice. "Thank you for everything you have done for me tonight." He turned as if he were going to leave out of the window.

"Oh no you don't." I said as I grabbed his arm. "No window hopping or wall climbing for you for at least two weeks. You'll mess up all my hard work." He looked as if he were going to argue for a moment before he shrugged his shoulders.

"As you wish Nanu." He followed me quietly down the stairs to the front door. I opened it and we stepped out underneath the lantern.

"Sorry about your cloak." He chuckled

"It is alright." His eyes burned into mine and heat began to pool in my lower stomach. He was so intoxicating.

"Be careful, please." I pleaded to him. He gave me a charming smile and a nod. I began to walk back inside but he placed his hand on my arm and stopped me.

"Nanu." I turned to face him again. He lifted his hand to my face and slid it softly over my cheek, cupping it gently as he pulled my face close to his. I drew in a sharp breath. His lips brushed sensually over the skin of my other cheek placing a small kiss there, sending a yearning coursing straight through my body. He trailed his lips to my ear where he whispered.

"Ezio." I was in a haze of desire when I replied.

"What?" I breathed out. To my displeasure, he released me.

"You asked my name." He stated. "It is Ezio."

"Ezio." I repeated the world feeling satisfying on my lips. It was beautiful. He gave me a smile.

"Till we meet again Nanu." He said. Then he turned and left, walking into the dark night.

My feet felt too heavy to move.

_'He let me in.'_  I thought.  _'His name, Its Ezio.'_

I wasn't sure how long I stood there, or when I made my way back to my room. One thing I was sure of though, Ezio would be making an appearance in my dreams tonight.


	6. A Proper Goodnight

Morning greeted me with open arms as I stretched out my legs with a smile plastered on my lips. The name Ezio danced around in my head as I began getting ready for my day. I made my way down to the kitchen and began to make some breakfast. I had gotten up early enough to do so this morning. I replayed last night's events in my head over and over as I fried my eggs. I hated that he was injured, but I'm glad he finally told me his name, and what a beautiful name it was.

I heard footsteps from behind me and knew it was Aunt Rita.

"Good morning!" I called to her.

"Morning." She responded simply. I stopped my movements. It was really unlike her to be so short.

"How'd you sleep?" I asked as I turned around. She had a frown on her face.

"Not so well," She said as she crossed her arms. Then a thought crossed my mind.  _'Oh man, She probably heard us. We weren't exactly quiet...'_  She must have read my mind because she gave me a knowing look.

"I can explain." I said hurriedly She held her hand up.

"Save it for after work. We both have things to do today." And with that, she grabbed her bag and left. I just stood there staring after her.

I felt so inconsiderate.  _'I led an Assassin into her home more than once, potentially put her life at risk, and never even told her of it. How could I be so stupid.'_  She had every right to be mad at me. _'With the noises Ezio made last night, who knows what she thinks went on!_ ' My face tinted bright red. For a brief moment I allowed myself to imagine what that would be like. Then I shook the thought from my head.  _'Have to go work...'_

I traveled to work with a heavy heart, watching my feet as I made my way to the shack.

"Hey Nanu!" Niccolo called to me once I made my way in.

"Hey Niccolo." I responded, trying to sound up beat. He saw through it. He always did.

"What's wrong?" He asked, His voice laced with concern. He really was a great friend. I enjoyed his company. We had become very close lately. I still didn't want him to know about the Assassin. He hated him after all. But other than that I told him almost everything, and he told me a lot of things too.

"I've done something that, maybe I shouldn't have done..." I trailed off as I hung my head. He walked towards me and placed his hands on my shoulders.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked. I chewed my bottom lip in thought.

"I don't really know what to say about it. I kept something a secret from Aunt Rita, when I really shouldn't have." He thought about this for a moment.

"So, just tell her. I'm sure you had a good reason for keeping it a secret, right?" I gave a small shrug.

"I think she's mad at me now." I said disheartenedly . He placed his hand under my chin and lifted my face to meet his. He flashed me one of his sweet smiles.

"Don't worry about it too much. Just talk it out with her. She's a good person. She will come around." His words actually made me feel a little better for the time being.

"Thanks Niccolo." I said with a smile. He smiled back at me and dropped his hand then returned to work. I also began my work. We talked periodically as the day went on. I really liked having this one on one time with him. But in the back of my mind I always wondered if he was wishing for something more to happen between us.

I thought of Ezio as I worked. A flash of his pained face came to my mind. I frowned. I hated seeing him like that. So vulnerable. So  _human._  I hated causing him more pain while trying to remove the arrow from his stomach. I never wanted him to hurt by my hands. But after all of that was done, I got to enjoy his company. He looked so good without his cloak on. His tan skin was so smooth under my hands. His stomach was so toned. His body pressed against mine, was so warm. And his lips on my skin...

My face was burning up and my heart pounded. I pushed my legs together under the table as an uncomfortable heat began to pool in my lower region. I decided to leave that thought for a later time and get back to work.

The day passed all too quick. I tried to work slow, take my time and draw out the day. Niccolo never said a word about how long I was taking. I think he knew I was dreading going home. He just kept busy until I was ready. I stood and took off my apron, then washed up. He too cleaned up and waited for me at the door. once I was ready, He walked me home. we were silent the whole way. Half way there I felt a warmness around my hand. I looked down to see Niccolo's hand wrapped gently around mine. I didn't know how I felt about it. a part of me knew I should remove my hand from his, but it really did feel comforting. I knew he was just trying to help, so I gave his hand a squeeze and he looked over at me. I smiled at him and he smiled back. We walked hand in hand the rest of the way home.

Once we were there, he let my hand go. I turned to him and smiled once more.

"Thank you." I said as I tried to keep my voice even. He wrapped his arms around me as he spoke.

"You'll be okay Nanu." I hugged him back and nodded before he walked away.

I turned towards the door and took a deep breath.  _'Here we go...'_  I thought to myself. I grabbed the metal handle and pushed the door open. What I saw took my breath away...

There, in the middle of the living room, standing with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face, was none other than Ezio himself.

"Welcome home Nanu." He said to me with a hint of amusement in his voice. My eyes quickly scanned around the house, seeking Aunt Rita. I found her standing in the kitchen cooking dinner. She too wore a smile on her lips.

"Hello dear!" she called to me. My mouth hit the floor.

"...What... What is going on?" I asked. She walked over to us, swinging her towel over her shoulder. Her and Ezio exchanged a look before she spoke.

"I think it's time we had a little chat." I knit my eyebrows together in confusion.

"Okay..."

"Supper is done, Let's sit and talk shall we?"

Ezio nodded in agreement and held his hand out for mine. I took it slowly, a little uncertain of him at first. He sensed this and pulled me close, slipping an arm around my waist. His breath blowing my hair against my face as he spoke in my ear.

"It is okay Signora, do not be frightened." His soft voice was like smooth honey, coating all my worries. I relaxed a little and walked with him to the table. He pulled my seat out for me, gesturing for me to sit. I did and waited for them to take their places at the table as well. Once we were all seated Aunt Rita began.

"I take it you are a bit confused?"

"More like very confused." I said. she gave a chuckle.

"I thought you might be." She looked at Ezio and he gave her a nod before reaching under the table for my hand, drawing slow circles into my skin with his thumb. "We should probably explain some things." This time Ezio spoke.

"I have known your Aunt for a long time now. She has been a dear friend to me and other assassins passing through." He seemed to choose his words carefully. " She helps me out when I need it."

"What do you do?" I asked her, unsure if I really wanted to know the answer.

"Oh I do small things here and there, deliver messages, drop off payments for the people he has working for him, but mostly I'm his medic."

"His medic?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at him.

"It is hard to get medical attention from the doctor in the town square when you are a lowly assassin." He clarified. "So when I have a wound that needs tending to, I come here and Rita patches me up."

"I have been doing it for quite a few years now." She added. after a few silent moments realization finally hit me and I spoke.

"You came here last night , looking for Aunt Rita, didn't you?" I said as I looked to him. He simply nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.

"You did not give me a chance. As soon as you woke, you started to give me orders!" He said with a chuckle. "Besides you did well. You have a much gentler hand than your aunt." He said with a wink. Aunt Rita swatted at him.

"Oh hush!" she said. "At least I have kept you alive, right?" Ezio just laughed. I sat there for a moment just gathering my thoughts. They both ate and let me think for a while. finally I spoke again.

"Why didn't you tell me Aunt Rita?" I asked her. She sat her fork down and folded her hands in her lap.

"Why didn't you tell me when you too were aiding him?" She countered. I thought about this for a moment.

"I wasn't sure how you would react. And I thought if you didn't know, it would somehow keep you safe." She nodded, her eyes full of understanding.

"That is why I hid it from you. I wanted to keep you safe. Ezio's world is a dangerous one." she said as she gave him a look. "But when he had told me how persistent you were with wanting to be a part of that world, I decided it was time to tell you." My face went red. Ezio shifted beside me, clearing his throat.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you." I said to Aunt Rita.

"Oh that's okay deary! I understand. I'm glad these things are out in the open now." I felt Ezio lean towards me. I looked at him. He had a serious expression on his face.

"This cannot be public knowledge, Understand?" He said sternly "If anyone were to find this out..." He trailed off.

"They would come here and try to kill you." I stated. But he shook his head. His eyes softened as he spoke.

"It is not me I am concerned about Signora." I understood what he meant and nodded. My heart fluttered at his words. After a few moments of silence Aunt Rita spoke again.

"Now that all of that is out of the way, Eat up! The food is getting cold."

I smiled as we ate, chatting casually over dinner. It felt so nice to enjoy a laugh with the two of them. I kept glancing at Ezio. It was so bizarre to have him sitting at our dinner table, talking so carelessly to us. As if were where he belonged. His smile was so genuine, it was breath taking. In that moment I wished he never had to leave. We finished up dinner and we all helped clean up before we walked towards the door. Time had passed so quickly it seemed. It was already so late in the night.

"Rita," Ezio spoke as he gave her a hug. "Dinner was amazing. It has been a while since I have had one of your meals."

"Oh I'm so glad you liked it!" She sang as she returned his hug. He opened the door and stepped out

"We shall have to do it again soon."

"Any time deary!" she said with a smile.

"Nanu, " He said as he softly slid his hand over mine, raising it to his lips and placing a feather light kiss to the back of it. "I will see you soon." My face tinted red and I gave him a small nod. I wasn't ready for him to go. I didn't want to say goodbye to him just yet. But I knew he had to. He released my hand and gave me a meaningful look. I wasn't sure what it meant, but he turned and began to leave and Aunt Rita shut the door then turned to me.

"It's awful late, I believe I'll head to bed."

"Yeah," I agreed with a nod. "I think I'll go too." We said our goodnights and headed for our rooms. Tonight's events had my adrenaline pumping so I decided to take a quick bath to calm myself. I gathered up my things and got some water. I felt better as I washed off my skin, taking my time, enjoying the lather on my body. Then I cleaned my hair, massaging my scalp until I was content. once I was satisfied I toweled off and slipped into a thin nightgown. It was rather warm tonight so I didn't want to wear anything thick. Finally I made my way to my room, lantern in hand. I opened the door and hung the lantern on the wall before I took the towel around my hair down.

Suddenly a hand slid over my mouth and an arm snaked around my waist. I took a deep breath to scream but was cut off by an Italian coated voice.

"It is me Nanu." Ezio whispered lowly in my ear. slowly he slid his hand from my mouth and turned me around.

"Ezio," I breathed out as my heart hammered against my chest."Why are you here?"

"I wanted to say goodnight to you, properly." He said as a smile played on his lips. My body went numb as the meaning of his words registered silently in my mind. He took a hand and brushed some stray wet hairs from my face before cupping my cheek, his other hand still tight around my waist. He gently brought my face close to his, inch by inch. His eyes burned into mine with a deep desire and his mouth was slightly parted. His breath crashed over me in waves. I felt like I was drowning in him, and I loved every second of it. Finally, his soft lips came down on mine, awaking my body to a sensation like id never felt before. I placed my hands on his chest and clutched to him desperately, moving my mouth against his. His tongue lapped playfully against my bottom lip and I eagerly opened my mouth to him, wanting him to explore me. He obliged and slipped his tongue in, guiding it gracefully against mine, sending a yearning straight between my legs. his hand tightened in my hair, pulling slightly as the sexual tension between us built. I was hyper aware of every inch of him as my hand slipped to the back of his neck, trying to pull him as close to me as possible. My body was flush against his and I could feel his heart hammering against my chest. His hand on my waist slipped over the curve of my bottom and that was all it took to coax a small breathless moan from my lips. We stayed connected like that for a long while, touching each other and enjoying the sensations we felt together. But all too soon it was over.

He reluctantly pulled back, his face as flushed as mine and his chest heaved up and down. His cloak was open and his bare torso shown in the moonlight. The sight was enough to make me squirm.

"I have to go." He said, his husky voice thick with desire.

"Don't go." I said to him as I placed my hands on his chest. "Stay." I offered my unspoken request heard clear. I hated how desperate I sounded, but my body ached for him. I wanted him so badly.

"I cannot, I have things I must attend to." My face fell in disappointment. "I want to." he said hurriedly. I raised my eyebrow at him. "Believe me," He said as he slid my hands slowly down his chest, my fingertips gently grazing every perfect muscle that lay there. "I want to." His voice seductive and low and held so much passion as my fingers barely brushed the top of his pants, just enough to feel the hard bulge that lay underneath. My face burned and my groin throbbed for him. My eyes met his and I seen the passion that those hazel orbs held. I slowly nodded before he released me.

"Another time, I promise." He said before cupping my cheeks and placing one more soft, sweet kiss to my lips. He turned and stepped towards the window.

"Goodnight, Ezio." I quietly called to him.

"Goodnight, Nanu." he said over his shoulder. And with that he climbed from my window and made his way through the night.

' _If I thought I couldn't sleep before, now I'm really going to have a hard time.'_


	7. Safe Haven

_"You are being crazy, Nanu." Oni's voice rang out as we sat, peeling potatoes for dinner. "Just let it go."_

_"I don't want to let it go. What's so wrong about taking a trip there to see Aunt Rita? It's been so long. Don't you miss her?" I asked._

_"Of course I do Nanu, I just don't think it's a good idea to go all the way to Italy."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because." she snapped. I tried to keep my irritation out of my voice, but it was becoming increasingly more difficult._

_"You'd rather I go alone?" I asked._

_"I'd rather you didn't go at all."_

_"But Oni, aren't you curious about it at all?"_

_"Mom and Dad wouldn't want you to go." she said. This aggravated me._

_"Mom and dad were just scared when we were younger. Things are different now."_

_"Why? Because they are dead?" Oni stated harshly as she jerked her head in my direction._

_"Oni..." She slammed her hands down on the table, causing me to jump._

_"They ARE DEAD Nanu. They aren't just visiting. You can't chase them down and bring them back!"_

_"I know that!" I snapped._

_"Then stop trying to. They didn't want you there and it's disrespectful for you to even think about going now!" I took a deep breath and continued peeling._

_"I'm going Oni, no matter if you like it or not, But I'd rather if you came with me." I stated calmly. She clenched her fists against the table before she spoke through gritted teeth._

_"Fine, Go. But you will go alone, without my blessing!" and with that she turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. I tried to swallow down the lump that formed in my throat and continued my work, looking through watery eyes._

_'Okay.' I thought. 'I'll go alone.'_

I awoke with a start as I gripped my sheets. My chest heaved up and down and I sat up in bed, pushing the hair from my face. I hadn't had a dream about the things that had happened in the past for a while now. I guess Ezio has had my mind a little preoccupied at the moment. My heart felt weighted as I thought about my older sister. I really missed her lately. Even though she disapproved of me coming here strongly, she was still my sister. I wish she would have come with me. But maybe it was for the best that she didn't. I don't think she would have liked it here as much as I do

A few weeks had passed since I discovered the truth about Ezio and Aunt Rita. Days went by as they normally did. But nights had become a little different. Every now and then Ezio would pay me a midnight visit. They were short and uneventful for the most part, but he wanted to let me know he was okay. And that I appreciated very much. I looked forward to seeing him in the nights, even if it was for only a brief moment.

I sighed and got out of bed, stretching before I began to dress for the day. I didn't have anything I needed to do today so I wore a simple tan colored dress and pulled my hair up in a bun. After washing my face and brushing my teeth I headed down stairs to eat some breakfast. Aunt Rita had already left for the day so after breakfast I grabbed a novel from the book shelf and decided to relax a bit. I spent the whole morning reading and not worrying about to much of anything. A little after lunch I heard a knock from my door.

"Hey Nanu." Niccolo said when I opened it. "How are you today?"

"I'm doing very well Niccolo. What brings you by?" I asked as I stepped outside.

"I was out and I figured I'd bring you your payment for the week." he said as he handed me a small pouch of coins.

"Oh." I said as I took it from his hands. "Thank you so much."

"No problem." he replied. "It was a good excuse to come and see you today." he said with a wink. I gave him a smile. "So would you like to come out on the town with me?" I thought about his offer for a moment. I didn't have anything to do today so I decided I would go.

"Okay, sure." I said as I closed the door behind me. He smiled and held his arm out for me.

"Shall we?" I laughed and took it as we made our way through the streets.

"What did you have in mind?" I said after a few moments.

"I want to show you something." he said with a gleam in his eye. "We will have to ride horseback to get there if you don't mind." my eyes widened,

"I don't mind." I said. I could feel myself getting excited. I had not been able to take to time to explore since I got here. It would be so nice to see something new.

"Good." We walked in silence for a good while until we reached the out skirts of town. The buildings ended and large stretches of beautiful green fields stood before us. I heard the whinny of horses as we approached a small stable with a man standing before it.

"Evening." Niccolo called to the man. "A horse please." the man nodded and began to untie one horse's reins from the fence post. He walked over to Niccolo and handed them to him.

"That will be 50 Florins please." The attendant said. I looked at Niccolo as he dug in his pocket.

"That's kind of a lot isn't it?" I asked under my breath.

"Not to worry." he answered me simply. He thanked the man and climbed on the horse before reaching out to me. I looked at him uncertainly. "Have you never ridden a horse before?" He asked almost shocked.

"I have never had a need to." I answered in defense. He gave a small chuckle.

"Here." He said as he reached out for my hand. "Don't be afraid." I slowly took his hand and he pulled me up with ease. I wound my arms around his waist and held on tight.

"Not too fast..." I said meekly in his ear. He smiled.

"Not too fast." he confirmed as he snapped the reins. The horse began to slowly trot and we took off. I have to admit I was a little scared at first. I tucked my head behind his back as we rode. "Open your eyes Nanu." He said softly. I reluctantly did as he asked but when I did, I seen that the view was so pretty. There were rolling hills as far as the eye could see and every so often there was a fenced in area with cattle in a field. The wind on my face felt really soothing and I began to really enjoy myself. After a few moments the dirt road broke off into separate trails. We followed it deep into a wooded area.

Once the trees parted and the view opened up, I was breathless. The sight was absolutely amazing. It was an open field, enclosed by tall trees, Hidden from the road on the outside. The grass was a dark green and patches of flowers coated the ground with many colors. A few bushes were scattered about and the sunlight seemed to beam directly in the middle of it all.

"Oh Niccolo, This is so amazing." I said in awe. He pulled on the reigns, bringing the horse to a stop before jumping down. He tied it up to a nearby tree then helped me down too. He took my hands and led me into the center of the field. I leaned down and let my fingertips brush over the bunch of flowers that were at my feet.

"Do you like it?" I heard him ask beside me. I straightened up and turned to him.

"I love it. How did you find this?" I asked. He paused for a moment before he took a seat on the ground, patting the spot in front of him. I chuckled and took a seat as well before he began.

"I was only a young kid when I lost my mother. When they told me I didn't know what to do with myself. So I just ran."

"You ran?" I asked. He nodded

"Yeah. I know it sounds silly now. But I didn't know how to deal with it as a kid. So that's what I did. I ran out of town, then eventually out into the fields, then when I got tired of that, I turned towards the trees, and ran some more. That's when I stumbled upon this beauty." He said as he gestured around him with open arms. "I was exhausted from running and crying so I just collapsed. Right here in the middle of this field. I stayed out here for two whole days before someone found me. After that, every chance I got, I would make my way back here. It always made me feel better, being out here. It was like my safe haven. No matter how hard things got, or how bad I felt on my way in here, I would leave feeling as if a weight was lifted from me. I used to think it was my mom watching over me. Crazy right?"

"No." I said softly as I shook my head. "I don't think so." He gave me a sweet smile. "What happened to your mother?" I asked. He fingered the peddles of a flower as he spoke.

"They tried to tell me she had fallen ill and passed because of it, but I don't believe that for a second." I raised my eyebrows at him and he continued. "I had seen her the day before and she didn't look ill to me. They thought because I was a little kid that I wouldn't question it. But they were wrong. I think she was killed."

"Killed? By who?" He crushed the flower in his hand and turned to me.

"Assassins." he said harshly. "They weren't as common back then as they are now, but I think she was somehow caught in the crossfire with one of them."

"...Niccolo." I said softly. "Don't you think that's a little..."

"Crazy?" He asked with a chuckle. "Maybe. But I truly believe I'm right. And I don't think she was the only one..." he trailed off as he turned to me, giving me a long meaningful look. I knit my eyebrows together as I tried to understand what he meant. "Anyway." He said and he looked away. "I wanted to share it with you." I smiled sweetly at him as I placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you Niccolo. It truly is so beautiful." He smiled and placed his hand over mine, giving it a small squeeze. After a moment I laid back on the ground, the flowers surrounding me tickled my face. I looked up at Niccolo who seemed a little confused, but then he smiled and laid back next to me. We both just watched the clouds go by, enjoying the sounds of nature all around us.

"Do you think maybe my parents are here, watching over me too?" I asked quietly.

"Mmhmm." he simply replied. I gave him a smile.

The sun eventually started to turn orange and we both knew it was time to go home so we made our way back into town. He walked me up to my door and said goodbye. I thanked him again for a wonderful time and turned the handle.

"Nanu?" Aunt Rita called to me.

"Yes, it's me." I said as I closed the door behind me.

"Nanu. We have a guest!" she sang. Confused I turned to see Oni coming my way with her arms open.

"Nanu!" she cried as she hugged me tight. "I've been so worried about you!"

"Oni? What on earth are you doing here?" I asked as I slowly hugged her back.

"I came looking for you! I haven't heard from you in months! I thought you might be dead!" I crinkled my forehead as she released me.

"You said you didn't give your blessings. You said I'd have to do this alone. I didn't think you wanted to hear from me." She huffed as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Just because I didn't agree with you doesn't mean I didn't want you to be safe."

"I'm sorry I didn't write you." I said before she hugged me again.

"Tell me all about your visit. I want to know everything." she said. So we talked as we cooked and ate supper. I told her all about my time here in Florence. But I didn't mention Ezio. She would not approve for obvious reasons.

"I have to admit, it doesn't seem as dangerous here as I once thought." Oni said as she scrubbed a plate, handing it over to me to dry.

"I really enjoy it." I added.

"Though I did see a poster for a wanted Assassin hanging on a wall while I and Aunt Rita were in town today." She said. The plate I was holding nearly slipped through my fingers. She gave me a strange look.

"Slippery..." I mumbled under my breath. She shrugged and continued to wash.

"Anyway, Aunt Rita said it's been a while since there was talk of him so maybe he is gone, or dead, or something."

"Maybe..." I added as I glanced at Aunt Rita. She simply shrugged. After we were done we decided to call it a night. Oni would be sharing my room.

We changed for bed and climbed in together, spending the night giggling like little girls as we reminisced with each other. We talked about old memories and laughed till tears formed in our eyes.

"We better be quiet before we wake up Aunt Rita." I said through giggles as I clutched at my stomach. It felt so good to laugh with her. I had missed her so much.

"Yeah. We should sleep." She agreed as she snuggled deeper into the mattress. I opened my mouth to say goodnight but was cut off when the window quickly creaked open.

"What could you possibly be giggling so hard about Nanu?" I heard Ezio's voice call as he climbed in the window. My blood ran cold. Ezio looked towards us and his eyes widened.

"AHHHHHH!" Oni's blood curtailing scream ring out beside me as she scrambled out of bed, dragging me with her.

"Oni!" I tried to yell to her as she pulled on my arm, but she wasn't listening.

"It's him!" She screamed as she jabbed a finger is Ezio's direction. He slowly raised his hands in surrender and backed up.

"Oni!" I tried again a little louder. She pushed me behind her.

"Get back Nanu! RITA!"

"I will not hurt you." Ezio's genital low voice pleaded to her.

"Like hell!" She screamed again. I shoved past her and grabbed her arms, giving her a hard shake.

"ONI!" I yelled again, this time getting her attention. "It's okay! He won't hurt you."

"Are you crazy?! That's the Assassin from the poster!"

"I know!" I said. Her confusion showed on her face.

"What?" I slowly let her go and backed up next to him.

"He isn't a bad guy." I said in his defense.

"Nanu, He's an Assassin! What do you think he does?"

"I know what he does." I said calmly. I seen her confusion slowly turn to anger.

"How could you?" She asked her voice laced with hurt. I didn't know what to say back to her. After a moment she called out again.

"Rita!" I sighed and looked towards him. He slowly put his arms down and wrapped one around my waist. I felt him lean close to my ear as he whispered softly to me.

"I am sorry." His velvet voice almost heartbreaking.

"Don't be." I whispered back. "It's okay." Aunt Rita burst through the door, lantern in hand.

"Oni?" she called. When her eyes took in the scene in front of her, realization set on her face. "Oni, Listen." She tried. Oni whipped around quickly and stared at Aunt Rita dumbfounded.

"You too?" she asked, her eyes watering.

"Oni, He is a good man. He has rescued Nanu a couple times from what could have been potential bad situations. He helps people. Please listen." she pleaded.

"I don't recall her getting into bad situations back in Egypt to need rescuing! Do you think that's just a coincidence?" Aunt Rita went silent. Oni turned to me and walked towards us. "I don't think it's best for you to remain here any longer Nanu." Ezio took a step forward.

"You are not taking her away." he said, his authority coating his tone. I could tell his words frightened her as she stilled her movements.

"I intend to." She said, her voice showing no fear.

"Useless." Ezio Said. "I'll follow her." Something in my heart tugged as those words left his mouth, but I knew I had to stop them.

"Enough." I said as I moved in-between them. I placed a hand on Ezio's chest, my eyes pleading with him to back down. After a moment he relaxed and took a step back.

"Nanu, come home this place is no good for you. You've become brainwashed into caring for an Assassin." she said as she cast a condescending glare in his direction. I heard him grunt in response. I sighed and shook my head, gently removing my hands from hers.

"Oni, this is home to me now. I won't go with you. I'm sorry. But you can remain here with us, if you wish." Her face showed betrayal as she slowly shook her head.

"Mom and dad would be ashamed if they could see you now." She choked out before she turned and bolted out of the room. Her words pierced right through my heart.

"Oni!" Aunt Rita called as she chased after her. The room got quiet and there was only Ezio and I left. After a long moment Ezio slowly walked in front of me before he wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me close to him. I didn't even realize I was crying until I felt the fabric of his cloak against my face dampen. A sob shook though me and I clutched tight to his chest, shaking as tears poured down my cheeks. Ezio placed small kisses to my head as he let me break down in his arms. We stayed like that, him comforting me and me bawling against his chest until Aunt Rita's voice broke through the silence.

"She is heading towards the dock. She wishes to leave at once..." She said with a sad small voice.

"I will follow her, and make sure she gets there safely." Ezio said as he released me. Aunt Rita nodded. He cupped my cheeks and brushed away the stray tears with his thumbs.

"Thank you." I whispered as my voice broke. He simply caught my mouth in a quick, sweet kiss before he made his way out of the window and through the dark town. I sat with Aunt Rita on the bed waited for him to return and ease the pain in the way that only he could.

He was my protector.

He was my Assassin.

He was my Safe Haven.


	8. I Think I Love You

I must have fallen asleep sometime while we waited because I awoke in my bed as the sounds of footsteps echoed through my room. I rolled over and looked up into two hazel eyes. Ezio had made his way to me and sat down beside me in bed.

"Was she okay?" I asked my voice hoarse from sleep and crying. He ran a hand through my hair, pushing it back from my face.

"She is fine. Once I got to her she was getting on a boat. I watched her until it left." I sighed and scooted over, patting the spot next to me. He gave me a sly smile, cocking his eyebrow at me.

"Stay?" I asked as I chewed my bottom lip, feeling a little embarrassed. He let out a breathy laugh and stood, sliding his cloak off. I watched as he carefully discarded all his weapons, laying them on my desk.

"Wow." I said eyeing his weapons only half serious. Once he was down to just his pants, he pulled the covers back and climbed into bed facing me on his side. His body was always so warm to the touch, he radiated heat and I loved it. I scooted closer to him and placed my hands on his chest. "This is nice." I whispered in the dark.

"It is." he said as he slid one arm underneath me then wrapped it around me, holding me closer to him. We stayed like that for a little while. I listened to the sound of his breathing, enjoying every sweet moment I shared with him. He slowly traced soothing circles into the small of my back with his fingertips. His touch was so comforting. "On my way to find your sister, I did some thinking." His velvet voice broke through the silence.

"Oh?" I said with my eyes closed, still focused on his touch.

"What if she was right?" He whispered disheartenedly opened my eyes and frowned at him.

"About?" I asked.

"What if... being here is not the best thing for you?"

"Ezio, why would you say that?" I said, a little twinge of pain stabbed at my heart. He took a slow breath.

"Because Nanu, She is right. It can be dangerous here. Being around me... can be dangerous as well..." He trailed off. My heart sank. He continued. "I am confident in my ability to keep you safe, but is this really the kind of life you should be living? Worrying all the time, having to hide things from the people you love. Does it not trouble you?" I thought about what he was saying for a brief moment before I answered.

"Yes, sometimes it does bother me." I answered truthfully. "But given the choice between lying to the ones I love and having you by my side, or not hiding anything from them but losing you in the process, Id chose having you with me every time." I said as I slid my hands to cup his stubble glazed cheeks. His piercing eyes burned into mine as he gave a small smile. His next words hit me like a ton of bricks.

"I think I love you, signora." his beautiful Italian accent making those words all the more sweeter. I gave a small gasp as my mouth popped open. I stared at him in disbelief as I contemplated if I had heard him correctly. But I needed no further confirmation once he brought his perfect lips down to capture mine. The fluid motions of his mouth massaging my own sent shivers down my spine. He slipped his tongue between my lips, parting them without waiting for permission, before the sweet taste of him engulfed my senses. I squirmed, feeling my arousal building. It didn't take much when it came to him. It was as if he was tailor-made to please me. I gasped into his mouth when I felt him slip a hand slowly down my side and over my hip, trailing it all the way down to the side of my knee. He rubbed the pad of this thumb there for a moment as his mouth devoured mine in the most seductive of ways before he began to slide his fingertips back up my thigh, dragging my gown with it, exposing my skin inch by inch. I slid my eyes closed and tilted my head back. His lips broke from mine, only to glide slowly along my jaw line, then down the tender skin of my neck. Having raised my gown so far up that my stomach was even exposed, he slid his hand along the curve of my bottom, taking his time and giving it a gentle squeeze. I hummed in delight, the heat between my legs getting unbearable. His lips found mine again and he kissed me with pure desire as he took one finger and traced outline of my undergarments over my hip, then down to my inner thigh. I gyrated my hips a little, coxing him to continue. He happily did so and I felt a finger hook into the fabric of my underwear, ever so slowly tugging them to the side, exposing my slit. Just the thought was almost enough to do me in. I gave a breathy moan as the anticipation sent shock waves through my body. Finally he took one finger and began to seek out my entrance, just barely pushing it past my lips...

**BANG!**

A loud crash came from down stares causing us to jump apart.

"What was that?" I asked in a panic.

"Not sure." He answered simply, his voice concerned. We quickly jumped out of bed.

**BANG!**

It rang out again. I covered my ears and looked towards Ezio with frightened eyes. He knit his eyebrows together in concentration and grabbed one of his swords off the desk. I was hoping he wouldn't have to use it. Finally we heard a voice from outside.

"Open up! We know the Assassin is in there!"

"Oh no..." I breathed out, fear numbing my body.

"Open up or we break it down!" The voice called out again. "We have you surrounded, on ground and in the air, so I wouldn't try to run if I were you." I watched as Ezio looked towards the bedroom door, then to the window.

"Ezio don't. They will kill you!" I called to him quietly. He swiftly walked over to me and placed a quick kiss to my forehead.

"Do not be freighted." He said. I could tell he was trying to keep his voice light for my sake. "Stay in here, please." he pleaded

"Ezio!" I whispered harshly. But he didn't listen. He opened the door and made his way down stairs. I couldn't have lived with myself if I let him go alone, so I quietly followed a little ways behind him. He was halfway to the door when they yelled to us again.

"Fine, have it your way."

**BANG!**

The door crashed open and 20 plus guards began to pour into the room.

"No!" I cried as they all drew their swords. Ezio swung first, his sword colliding with another before he kicked the guard who wielded it backward. He got his opening when the guard struggled to regain his balance and shoved his sword deep into the guard's neck, killing him. Another guard came at him from behind. Ezio dislodged his weapon from the first guard's neck and swung it around quickly, slicing the other guard's stomach open. Blood spewed from his abdomen like a faucet before he collapsed onto the ground. Those were the only lives he was able to take before the rest grabbed him, preventing him from retaliating. They shoved him to the ground, face first, yanking the weapon from his hands, then bound his arms behind his back.

"We got him boys!" One of the guards shouted triumphantly. They all erupted into loud cheers. Another one walked over to Ezio and pulled him from the ground by his face. Ezio wore an angered expression and grit his teeth together.

"Get your hands off me." Ezio's voice boomed.

"You're in the wrong position to be making threats, Assassin." The guard said before he drew hit fist back and sent it crashing into Ezio's face full force with a sickening crunch. He dropped his head and I watched devastated as a trickle of blood ran from his mouth. I moved before I thought.

"Don't!" I screamed as I ran down the steps. They all turned to face me.

"I told you to stay put." Ezio's disheartened voice called to me.

"Grab her!" The guard that punched Ezio said. Ezio jerked against his restraints.

"No!" He called out aggressively. "Do not touch her!" I felt their hands pushing me to the ground as I kept my eyes locked on Ezio's. He body trembled as he thrashed about, trying to free himself. A hand tangled in my hair and jerked me up. Pain shot through my head and I let out a yelp. "DONT!" I heard him scream again. The guard who I assumed was in charge dragged my face to his. He was the same one who hit Ezio.

"You are under arrest and charged with aiding an assassin." He sneered in my face. I narrowed my eyes at him but stayed silent. "Good girl." He said as he roughly patted my cheek. "Take them away!" He shouted. They began to drag us out of the house and into town, taking us to the holding cells I assumed. I thanked my lucky stars that they didn't get Aunt Rita. I was also thankful that I didn't see Niccolo in the bunch just yet. Once we arrived they tossed me roughly into a cell, sending my head bouncing painfully off the stone floor.

"Be careful with her!" Ezio called. His voice was almost pleading. It made me so sad to hear him that way. I wanted to baldy to reach out to him and hold him, but my arms were tied behind my back, and they were dragging him to a different cell where they tossed him in as well. They made a few rude remarks and their laughter echoed down the hallway as they walked away, leaving us alone in the dark jail room. The silence was so thick and unbearable. We stayed that way for a long while before I finally spoke.

"Ezio?" I called out. I couldn't see him but I knew he was only a few cells down.

"Are you alright?" He called back. Aside from the pounding in my head from the rough treatment from the guards, I was okay.

"Yes, I'm fine." I answered. I heard him give a sigh of relief

"Good."

".. What's going to happen now?" I asked, uncertain.

"I will get us out of this." he said as he tried to sound confident. I paused for a moment.

"How?"

"...I am not sure just yet..." He answered defeated.

"How did they know where you were?" I questioned. He didn't answer me. For a moment I was confused, and then it hit me. "Oni..."

"She must have reported it before I got to her..." He said sadly. I couldn't help the feelings of betrayal I felt. I knew she thought she was protecting me, but she didn't realize how much trouble she had just gotten me in. and quite honestly, neither did I. Footsteps echoing down the hallway pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up to see Niccolo standing in front of my cell. His wore a pained expression.

"Niccolo." I breathed out.

"Nanu? What have you done..." it was more of a statement than a question.

"Niccolo please," I begged. "You have to let us out of here." I pulled my self off the floor the best I could with my hands behind my back, and walked to the bars. "Please, they might kill us." I pleaded.

"They intend to Nanu. Do you know how many lives he has taken?" He said as he pointed in Ezio's general direction. I avoided that question. I always avoided it.

"He isn't as bad as you think." I tried to reason. This only made him angry

"Please, he has you brainwashed." He said as he crossed his arms.

"Please Niccolo." I tried again. "You know me." He eyes softened as he slowly dropped his arms.

"... I thought I did." he replied as he hung his head. I started to inwardly panic. He might be our only way out of here. Ezio's pleading voice broke through my thoughts.

"Just her then!" He begged. "Please, just let her go. I will stay." I watched Niccolo's eyes widen as he turned to face the man he has hunted for so long. He paused and furrowed his brown in thought, and then finally he gave a sigh and pulled out his key ring. He opened the metal door and let me out.

"Ezio..." I said as I looked towards his cell. He sat on the ground, in only his pants. His mouth had blood running from one side and was slightly bruised. He looked so vulnerable.

"You have to go Nanu." He said softly to me. I knew he was right. If I stayed there was no chance I could help him get out of here. I simply nodded as tears began to pool in my eyes. I felt Niccolo's hands on my wrists as he unbound me. He took a hand and dragged the back of it gently along my arm, as if it would be the last time he got a chance to feel me. He dropped his hand and I turned around to face him.

"Thank you." I said as my voice broke and the tears began to fall from my eyes. He just simply nodded and looked away.

"The guards are out on patrol, so they won't catch you leaving. Also, don't go home. There are guards there as well." Niccolo said to me. I nodded and began to make my way out of the building. My heart was in pieces having to leave Ezio there, knowing what he was facing. I knew I had to get him out, But I had no idea how to do that. I walked along the shadows of the town, keeping my eyes peeled for any guards on night watch. ' _Where do I even go if I can't go home?'_ I thought to myself. A sharp whistle pierced the night as I looked down the alleyway from where it came. There was a black hooded figure at the end, beckoning me to come closer. I was frightened, but this person was cloaked like Ezio. And it was the only shot I had. My feet cautiously began to carry to down the alley. The figure began to walk towards me as well, lifting its hands it slowly pulled its hood back.

"Aunt Rita?!" I asked my shock apparent on my face and in my voice. She put a finger to her lips to quiet me.

"There isn't much time." She said as she handed me a black cloak as well. "Put this on." I did as she requested. She put a hand in her cloak and handed me a sheathed sword. "Take this." My mouth dropped.

"You said you ran errands for him!" I whispered harshly, giving her an accusing look.

"I do...now..." she said as a small smile graced her aging features. "I'm retired." after I fastened the weapon to my side I looked to her.

"What do we do now?"

"They plan on hanging Ezio in the town square at day break." She stated. I gasped as my heart sank. "It's okay," she said as she placed her hand on my shoulder. "We are going to stop them."

"Us? I asked. "How?" She gave me a serious look.

"I'll need your help."

"What can I do?"

"I'm going to train you as much as I can through the night. Then in the morning, we will rescue him."

"Train me... to be an assassin?" I asked in astonishment.

"Not really." She clarified. "Train you to make high jumps and swing a sword. I'll do the rest." I became a bit concerned.

"We will start with the high jumps." she said as she turned around. Three crates were stacked behind her. "Watch." she said before she took off running, jumping up on the crates, then jumping again, grabbing a pole that hung from the wall. She scooted her way to the end of the pole and began to swing back and forth. Once she gathered momentum, she let go, propelling herself onto a platform that hung from the wall beside her. she stepped carefully back to the edge before she ran towards the wall, taking one step up as if she was defying gravity, then grabbed the ledge of the roof. She pulled herself up and dusted off her hands. "Like that." she said, only slightly winded.

"Aunt Rita, I can't do that!"

"You must Nanu. Ezio needs you." Those words stabbed at my heart and I knew I had to try. I took a deep breath and ran towards the crates. I jumped on them then jumped again, attempting to grab the pole that hung overhead but I fell short. My hands grabbed air and I tumbled back down.

"Ouch!" I cried out as hit my bottom hard on the ground.

"Try again Nanu!" Aunt Rita called from the roof. I slowly pulled myself from the ground and tried again. I ran at the crates, jumping atop them then jumping again, my hands wrapping around the cool metal pole above me. "Good!" She cried out. "Now shimmy back and swing yourself over to the platform!" I did as she requested and scooted my hands back the edge of the pole, and then began to swing back and forth. Once I felt I had enough leverage I let go. My hands reached out to grasp the wooden platform once I realized I missed, but they too didn't reach their mark. I landed once more on the ground with a hard thump. I called out in pain again, this time rubbing my back. "Again Nanu!" Aunt Rita cried relentlessly.

I struggled to get to my feet, but once I did I tried again, and again, and again, until finally I landed on the platform.

"Yes!" She called to me. "Now all you have to do is run at the wall, step up, and grab the roof."

"Is that all?" I asked sarcastically as I heaved for breath.

"Come now Nanu, You are so close!" I sighed, straightening up.  _'I can do this'_ I thought to myself. I carefully stepped as far back as I could on the platform, then ran towards the wall, placing my foot against the stone and propelling myself up, my hands landing perfectly on the roof top. I struggled but finally pulled myself up onto the roof. Aunt Rita hugged me tight. "You did so well!" she said proudly.

"Okay," I said once I rested for a minute. "What now?"

"Now" she began. "We have to get down."

"Ugh." I said exasperated "More climbing?" she took a moment to respond.

"...not exactly..." I raised my eyebrows at her. "Watch." she said as she walked to the edge of the building. She crouched down as low as she could before she slowly stepped off the building. I gasped and ran to the edge to look down. There she was, crouched on the ground below. "Like that." she said as she stood and looked up to me. "Just keep yourself low."

"Aunt Rita..." I said with hesitation. "I don't know if I can do this..."

"You can dear!" she called to me. "Believe in yourself Nanu. I know you can." I sighed and eased myself down as low as I could to the roof and swallowed the lump in my throat, before I stepped off. The air went sailing past me quickly and I let out a small yell before I landed hard on feet. The impact made me fall backwards roughly. It was not at all as graceful as Aunt Rita's. "Oh I knew you could do it dear!" she said triumphantly as she hugged me once more.

"Are you kidding?" I asked in disbelief "That was awful. I didn't do anything like you did."

"Oh that's fine darling!" she said as she clapped her hands together. "It didn't have to be perfect, I just needed to know you could do it. And you can." she said as she gave me a smile. I cringed, rubbing my back before I spoke.

"Do I dare ask what's next?" She chuckled and unsheathed her sword.

"Believe it or not, this part is easy." I gazed at her weapon, then back to her with a doubtful look. "You just need to swing your sword hard enough to cut through the rope that will be binding Ezio. My stomach turned.

"Me?" I asked nervously.

"Yes," She answered. "I will be keeping the other guards at bay. I will need you to cut him free." I was more than unnerved about this, but I knew I had to do it. I gave a defeated sigh and unsheathed my weapon as well.

"Okay." I said. "Teach me."


	9. Show Time!

We sat in a wooden shelter atop one of the buildings in the town square. Aunt Rita had been training me all night. My body was so sore and I had terrible bruises along my back side, but I didn't care about any of that. The closer the sun got the horizon, the more anxious I felt. The guards would soon be ushering Ezio into the square to be hung, and it was up to Aunt Rita and I to stop it. I dropped my head and stared at my feet as I tried to swallow back the bile that was slowly rising in my throat. We had one shot at this. There was no "Do overs". If I messed up, the cost would be Ezio's life. I felt a warm hand on my knee and I looked up to see Aunt Rita smiling reassuringly at me.

"It will be okay Nanu." She said to me calmly. I tried my best to fake a smile and nodded. Light began to pour into the shelter and we both looked toward the square. The sun had just broken the horizon, chasing away the dark of the night and replacing it with a strong orange light. The view from here was amazing, it almost made me forget about the task at hand. Finally we heard the commotion we had been dreading, coming from the square. We exchanged glances and stood, making our way to the edge to see. I placed and hand on over my mouth to keep myself from gasping.

They were dragging Ezio into the center of the square. He looked so week as they stood him on the platform. He was still shirtless and his once perfect body was now bruised and beaten. Scrapes and cuts adorned his flawless tan skin. I noticed a few of the guards were bloody as well. I didn't know if I wanted to cry or laugh once I realized he must have tried to fight them off this morning. He wasn't going to go quietly. They had got him set up and put a thick noose around his neck. His hands remained bound behind his back. Aunt Rita's voice in my ear pulled me from my studies.

"Have you ever seen a public hanging before?" She asked. I swallowed hard before I answered.

"No."

"See that lever over there?" she said as she lifted her hand and pointed to a metal lever that was attached to the wooden platform on which Ezio and a couple of the guards stood.

"Yes."

"After they give a speech stating what crimes he has committed, a guard will walk over to that lever and pull it. The ground beneath Ezio would drop out from underneath him and he would be hanged." I winced at her words. "But we are going to stop It." she finished.

"Right." I nodded. "What do you need me to do?" she gave me a smile before she explained the plan to me in detail.

"I'm going to make my way to the building on the other side of the square." she said as she pointed to the building opposite of the one we currently stood on. "Right before he pulls the lever I'm going to drop down and take out as many guards as I can. Hopefully that will pull everyone's attention to me. But If it doesn't and the guard goes for the lever..." she trailed off. My chest tightened as the meaning of her words sunk in. I might actually have to take a life, to save Ezio's.

"How do you propose I go about it...?" I said after a long pause.

"Position yourself above the leaver. If the guard goes to pull it, jump from the roof and land on him. It will knock him to the ground then it will be easy to run your weapon through his neck." I listened very carefully to her instructions and nodded slowly. "Once you're on the ground and you have an opening, swing your sword at the rope behind the pole where Ezio stands. It will cut his neck free then all you need to do is cut the rope behind his hands." I swallowed hard and nodded again.

"Okay. I understand."

"Here." She said as she handed me a dagger. "Give your sword to him once he is free, and then use this as protection if you need it." I took the weapon from her hands and fastened it to my side under my cloak. The man in front of Ezio began to speak loudly to the gathering crowd and I knew it was time. "Ready?" Aunt Rita asked me as she placed her hands on my shoulders.

"Yes. I'm ready." I said with determination. She gave me a squeeze before she began to make her way to the opposite building. I pulled my hood over my face and crouched low, easing my way to the edge of the roof top as I listened to the man's speech.

"Assassin! You stand here today accused of the crime of treason and multiple cases of man slaughter! Have you any evidence to counter this charge?" He boomed as he turned to face Ezio. He remained silent. After a long pause the man spoke again. "In the absence of any compelling evidence to the contrary, I am bound to pronounce you guilty as charged. You are here by sentenced to death!" The crowd erupted into cheers. _'How cruel...'_  I thought. He motioned to the guard beside him and he started to walk towards the lever.  _'Here we go'_  I looked towards Aunt Rita on the opposite roof. She gave me a slow nod. I nodded back, and then she slowly stepped off the edge of the roof.

She landed on a guard and knocked him to the ground before stabbing him through his neck, killing him just as she taught me. The crowd began to scream, running around in every direction like a bunch of scared mice. The guards who were present ran to see what the commotion was, as she predicted. The man walking towards the lever too headed in her direction, much to my relief. I saw her swinging her weapon around, taking out a few more guards before the crowd of people blocked my view. It was time. My heart began to pound in my head and my body slowly began to numb as adrenalin flooded my veins. I did as Aunt Rita showed me and slowly stepped from the roof. The air sped past me as I made my quick decent to the ground, landing roughly on my feet. I looked up to see Ezio's surprised face staring back at me.

"Nanu?" His voice sounded rough as she spoke to me. Just that one simple word was enough to make me melt. My feet began to quickly carry me in his direction.

"Hold on!" I said as I wielded my weapon. "I'll cut you down." I raised my sword to cut the rope, but an arm snaked around my body and a hand wrapped tight around my wrist.

"I don't think so!" a raspy voice gurgled into my ear. My heart stopped.

"Get off of me!" I screamed as I thrashed around, trying to break free, but to no avail.

"Got you now!" he sneered.

"Throw your head back!" Ezio instructed. I wasted no time in carrying out his order, sending my head crashing hard into this guy's nose. He screamed out in pain as his arms loosened their grip. I used this to my advantage and quickly jerked myself away from him. I turned just in time to watch the man raise his weapon over his head. "Jump back!" Ezio demanded. I quickly leapt backwards, but not quick enough. Searing pain shot through my abdomen as the man's unforgiving weapon sliced into the side of my stomach. I screamed and fell to the ground, holding the injured area. "NO!" Ezio yelled loudly. I heard the guard laughing above me. It made my stomach turn. "Take out his legs!" Ezio instructed once again. Gathering my strength, I quickly stuck one leg out, sweeping it underneath the big man. It knocked him off balance and he fell to the ground hard. "Quickly!" Ezio demanded. "Through the neck! It is soft and unprotected!" without hesitation I scrambled over toward the man, lifting my sword, and piercing it right through his neck. He coughed and sputtered as blood began to spew from his mouth. His eyes locked onto mine and I watched as death slowly took him away.

"I'm sorry." I whispered down to the lifeless body with a heavy heart before I ran to Ezio. I swung my sword as hard as I could and chopped right through the rope that ran along the pole behind him, causing the noose to go slack. I then carefully slid the sword between his wrists, cutting through his bindings. His wrists were raw and bleeding from the restraints. "Ezio..." I breathed out as I fell to my knees, blood pouring from the wound in my side.

"Nanu!" he cried as he reached out for me. He kneeled beside me and softly gripped my hand, moving it away from the wound so he could look at it. He studied it for a moment before he spoke. "We got to get you out of here..."

"Don't let them get away!" I heard someone yell through the crowd as the guards began to rush us. My strength had abandoned me. I was so exhausted I couldn't move.

"Ezio..." I whispered again, my eyes growing heavy.

"Stay awake!" he called as he picked me up from the ground. I tried my best to do as he asked, but his body felt so warm against mine. The soft thumping of his heart beat echoed into my head, drowning out all the noise around me. My vision began to darken as the world seemed to fade away. "Please... awake... Nanu..." I couldn't make out what he was trying to say to me anymore. I couldn't feel the pain in my side anymore. In fact I couldn't feel anything except Ezio anymore. It felt so peaceful... I stayed that way for a long while. Until someone's words broke through the comfortable quiet.

"Take this horse...a few towns over...safe there..." Her voice sounded so familiar. I felt the vibrations through Ezio's chest as he responded to her.

"Thank you Eva."  _'I know who Eva is...'_  My delusional mind thought.  _'I just can't think of her right now...'_  "Nanu." Ezio's voice called to me. It made me want to see him. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't. "Nanu please, I need you to wake up mio amore." I felt his thumbs brushing lovingly against my cheeks. I tried to speak to him but nothing came out. I stated to grow frustrated. Suddenly I felt a warm presser against my mouth. I could taste Ezio's sweet taste on my tongue. He was kissing me. I willed my lips to move against his. My desire for him sparked instantly as my senses came back to me. I must have responded because he began to kiss me wildly, gripping my head roughly and molding his lips over and over into mine. Finally my eyes slid open and I brought my hands to his cheeks. He pulled back and gazed into my eyes.

"Nanu, thank god." he said as he wrapped his arms around me. "I thought I had lost you." slowly I lifted my tired arms to return his hug.

"Can't get rid of me that easily." I whispered out. My voice rough with exhaustion. I felt him give a small chuckle.

"You must go." A light voice called out from behind me. I turned and seen Eva standing there, holding onto the reins of a horse.

"Eva?" I asked in surprise. "Why are you...?" my obvious question trailed off.

"The world is more complicated than you thought, no?" she said as a small smile graced her lips. I gave her a smile back before we heard the quick footsteps of the approaching guards.

"Merda." Ezio cursed under his breath.

"Hurry, go!" Eva said as she handed the reins to Ezio. "I will stall them." He took them and nodded.

"I thank you friend." he said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. She gave him a short nod. Ezio walked behind me and gripped my waist with both hands, lifting me up and setting me on the horse before he too climbed atop the animal. I wrapped my arms securely around his bare waist. He turned his head slightly and spoke to me over his shoulder. "Hold on tight to me." His tone was soft and gentle. I wanted so badly to wrap myself up in him and forget the world.

"Always." I replied simply. I watched as a smile pulled at his perfect lips. "Yah!" He called as he snapped the horse's reins, causing the horse to gallop off quickly. I couldn't help in this moment to think of Niccolo. How he took me out here not so long ago riding horseback. My heart hurt at the thought. He probably never wanted to see me again after all of this. Another thought crossed my mind and I spoke in Ezio's ear.

"Do you think Aunt Rita will be okay?"

"Oh yes," He said with confidence. "She will be just fine. She used to be one of the best you know."

"I hope so..." I replied. We rode in silence for a few more minutes before he spoke again.

"I want to thank you for everything you have done for me today. You are truly amazing. No ordinary girl could have pulled it off."

"I had to. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something had happened to you." I watched as his smile turned into a frown. "What's wrong?" he didn't respond right away, instead he steered the horse deep into the forest to our right. I wondered what he was doing as he jumped off and tied the reins to a tree. He turned to me and helped me down. "Ezio?" I asked again.

"You are injured." He said matter-of-factly. I looked down and seen the gash that was in my stomach. It looked awful and it hurt a lot, but the bleeding had slowed down some. He also studied it briefly. "What do I do?" He asked. I thought for a moment before I slipped myself out of my cloak and handed it to him.

"Shred this for me so I can wrap up the wound." I watched his eyes slip from mine, to travel the length of my body. Once I realized I was still in only my night gown underneath, I raised my arms and shyly covered my body. He gave a small chuckle and began to do as I requested.

"You know," He started as he worked. "You have nothing to be shy about. It is just me Nanu." I thought about this for a moment before I slowly eased my arms back down to my sides. He looked up and watched my movements, His eyes showed a brief flicker of desire as he once again moved them ever so slowly along my curves. I felt my heart speed up as the thought of him wanting me began to light my own little fire, but he dropped his eyes and finished up shredding the cloak. "Done." he said as he walked closer to me. I nodded and chewed on my bottom lip. He lifted his eyebrow in amusement. "What is it?"

"I'll need to... take this off." I said, slightly embarrassed as I tugged at the hem of my gown. The smirk that appeared on his face was beautiful.

"Do you want me to turn around?" I slowly shook my head.

"No. I'll need your help to wrap the wound." He lifted his hand and tilted my chin up, locking his eyes on mine.

"Do not be embarrassed Nanu," he spoke softly to me. "I only wish to help." after a moment I nodded and stepped back, gripping the hem of my gown and pulling if carefully over my head. His reaction was not at all what I was expecting. His face contorted into pain as he walked swiftly to me. "Oh Nanu..." He said pitifully as he traced the ugly bruises that riddled my body with his fingertips. I looked down and winced at the sight. It did look pretty bad...

"I'm okay." I said reassuringly to him. He only slowly shook his head.

"You should not have had to go through this…" He said sadly. I raised my hands and cupped his cheeks, bringing my face close to his.

"I'd do it all over again..." I whispered softly. He sighed and nodded before he began to wrap the bandages around my waist. I lifted my arms out of the way while he worked. His hands were so warm and gentle, they sent shivers up my spine every time they came in contact with my tender skin. He was so close to me I could feel every breath he took wash over my face. I happily drank in his scent. His breaths became a little heavier and I looked into his hazel eyes. He was staring back at me, the lust apparent in them. I swallowed hard, feeling the familiar heat beginning to pool within me. He finished with the bandages but never removed his hands from my skin. Instead he slid them slowly up and down my sides, each stroke pulling me deeper into my lusty haze. Finally he slipped his hands up my back and with one easy flick of his fingers, he unstrapped my bra. It popped open and slid down my arms slightly before he slipped it all the way off. I could have climaxed right then and there with the way his eyes drank in the small curve of my breasts. They weren't big at all. In fact they were on the small side. But the way he looked at them as if they were priceless jewels made me forget their inadequate size. He wasted no time in slipping the palm of his hands over my ribs, roughly circling my hardened nipples repeatedly with the pad of his thumbs. I gasped at the sudden pleasure. It was obvious he was eager this time. I pushed my knees together trying to keep the building presser at bay. He noticed this and immediately latched his mouth onto my collar bone, lapping and biting the sensitive skin there while his hands worked their way down my body. He hooked his fingers into the sides of my underwear and slowly dragged them inch by inch down my trembling legs. Once they were off he released his mouth from me and stepped back, gazing at my body as if it was a delicious meal, and he was starving. My skin burned under his eyes.

"Ezio..." I whispered. "Please..." That was all it took. He quickly stepped back to me and crushed his torso against mine, his smooth chest rubbed deliciously against my sensitive peaks and I gave a breathy moan. He glanced around for a brief moment, and then a smile swept across his face. I wondered what he was looking for but before I could ask he devoured my mouth with his, lapping and biting hungrily at my bottom lip as he trailed his hands over the curve of my bottom. I squirmed against his strong hands, wanting him to claim me now. His hands slipped down to the back of my thighs before I felt him lift me up effortlessly and wrap my legs around his waist. My bare sex rubbed against him as he began to walk, causing small tortured groans to escape past my lips. I slipped my arms around his neck and kissed him with as much passion as I could muster, slipping my tongue into his hot mouth, drinking him up greedily. I felt the rough bark of a tree scrape against my naked back. I didn't mind the slight sting, I was too wrapped up in everything that was him to care. He pushed me up against the tree with his torso as his hands slid to my inner thighs. I gasped as he parted my knees, lifting me from him and draping them over two branches that jutted out of each side of the tree I was against, spreading my slit wide open, exposing me in the naughtiest of ways.

"Ezio!" I called out almost in a panic as he stepped away. I was forced to raise my hands behind me and grip the tree above my head to keep from falling.

"I would not move if I were you. You could fall..." His thick sultry voice spoke to me as his eyes focused on my open slit. It yearned for him. Unable to move my arms or close my legs, I was at his mercy. His eyes alone cause me so much pleasure, my sex ached for him. he slowly stepped to me and lifted my chin before he touched his inviting lips to mine, this time kissing me slowly, and thoroughly, caressing my mouth gently with his as his slipped his other hand up and down my inner thigh. I eagerly returned his kiss as I wiggled my hips the best I could without falling, beckoning him to touch me more. He grinned against my mouth as he slowly traced my open sex with his fingertips. His words pulled me closer and closer to the edge. "What is it that you want mio amore." his honey coted voice teased as he continued his torture on my slit.

"You Ezio." I moaned "I want you." my desire was making me bold. He finally took two fingers and captured my swollen bud between them, massaging it gently. I cried out as my hips bucked involuntarily against his hand. "Yes..." I moaned again. I felt his free hand snake into my long black hair, giving it a yank.

"You are a naughty one Nanu." He growled at me, His voice rough with lust as his motions on my bud became rougher. I gasped and my eyes rolled back as my knees began to tremble. "You want more?" He teased.

"Yes!" I begged. "Please." He wasted no time untangling his hand from my hair and shoving two fingers deep inside me. I yelled out in pleasure as I arched my back, digging my fingernails into the bark of the tree. My sex spazzed as he pumped mercilessly into me, hitting my sweet spot with every thrust of his hand. He repositioned his hand on my bud, placing his palm against it, applying just the right amount of pressure as he rubbed it around in quick circles. He curled his fingers inside of me, stroking the place that drove me crazy over, and over, and over. Each time the pleasure becoming grater and grater until I was about to burst. My walls tightened around him as I began to pant, my mouth hanging slightly open.

"Come." He demanded in his unforgiving voice. And that was all it took. I spilled over the edge, my walls contracted around his fingers as my body shuttered. It just kept coming over me in waves and waves of pleasure. I cried out and my eyes rolled as my body shook to the core, liquid pouring from me. After a few long moments my climax ended and my body became limp. I began to slip from the tree. Ezio reached out and caught me, carefully lifting me from the branches and lowering me to the ground. I just stood there and let him hold me while I caught my breath. "Beautiful." He whispered into my hair. I raised my eyebrows at him. "Seeing you so vulnerable like that, it was beautiful." I gave him a small smile.

"But, we didn't get to..." I trailed off. He chuckled and kissed my forehead.

"Another time we will, I promise." I nodded and looked around for my discarded garments. Ezio spotted them and gathered them from the grass, handing them to me. I thanked him and slipped them on. We walled back over to our horse and he lifted me onto the back of it. "You know," he said as he climbed up with me. "Things are going to be a little different in Venice."

"Is that so?" I asked while I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"mmhmm." he hummed. "A good different though." I smiled as I laid my head against his back.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go." He chuckled loudly and snapped the horse's reins.

"Yah!"


	10. Coming Clean

It took a long while to get to Venice. By the time we tied the horse to the stable then sun had already set. I looked up at the stone walls that welcomed us. They resembled the walls surrounding Florence, only these were twice as tall. It looked so intimidating.

"Are you ready?" I heard Ezio's thick accent day beside me. I looked over at him. He had his hand out stretched to mine, waiting for me to take it. I raised my eyebrows.

"You're just going to walk down the middle of the street?" I questioned doubtfully. A large smile spread across his tanned face.

"I told you Nanu, things are a little different here." my eyes slid from his face to his hand. I slowly took it, still skeptical. He found this humorous and gave a loud laugh. "Come." He said as he lead me beyond the large stone archway.

I looked around as I followed him through the crowds. Yes crowds. This city was so busy. There were people traveling around everywhere. It was nothing like the slow pace of Florence. Once the sun started to set there, the streets cleared out pretty quick. But here the sun had been set for a while now and people were still wondering the streets. Merchants were even still selling their goods. The vendors here went working behind shabby wooden stands. They had actual stone buildings to work in. It was amazing.

"What do you think?" Ezio asked in my ear.

"I think it's amazing." I said back in awe. "There's so many people out and about." I heard him chuckle beside me.

"There are people on the streets at all times here. Even in the middle of the night. It is a city that never stops." He explained as we walked. I looked over at him. He wore a small smile comfortably on his face. It felt so strange to be casually walking with him in the middle of town where anyone could see us. Strange, and also very pleasant. This was a feeling I could get used to. I smiled as we continue walking silently. after a little while we arrived at a large villa on the far end of town. there were stairs leading up to a huge yard where a massive stone circle sat in the center. I raised my eyebrows at Ezio as we walked past it.

"It is a combat training circle." He said. "I have spent my fair share of time in it." He rubbed his neck as if remembering some sort of injury. I instinctively frowned.

"Is that you Ezio Auditore?" I heard a loud voice boom from the open doorway of the villa. We looked to see a man come walking towards us with his arms open.

"Uncle!" Ezio exclaimed as he slipped his hand from mine before he walked up to the man, wrapping his arms around his big body.

"It is so good to see you my boy!" The man said as he patted his back. Ezio released him and turned towards me.

"Uncle, this is Nanu." he said as he brought him over to meet me.

"Nanu! Wonderful to meet you!" He said as he softly grabbed my hand, placing a single kiss to the back of it. I gave a bow. "Ezio what are you doing with such a fine lady, hmm?" Ezio stepped closer to me and slipped an arm around my waist.

"She is mio amore." He said. His thick Italian accent sending shivers up my spine.

"Ahhh," The man said as he nodded slowly. "So wonderful to see a lady that will put up with you." He chuckled as Ezio elbowed his ribs playfully.

"Nanu, This is my Uncle Mario. We will be staying with him for a little while." I gave Mario a smile.

"Thank you sir for letting us stay. I hope it won't be any trouble." I said kindly to him.

"No trouble at all Signora. I do love company. " he said with a smile "Ezio she looks exhausted. Show her to her room. She can stay in your sisters old room." Ezio nodded.

"Thank you uncle." He replied before taking my hand and leading me into the massive house.

"Sister?" I asked as he lead me up the stairs.

"Yes. She and my mother used to stay here with me." He answered. I paused for a long moment, debating on if I should ask my next question.

"...Where are they now...?" I asked, half dreading the answer.

"They are in Rome. My sister runs a business there." He said.

"Oh." I answered in surprise. "That's great." I glanced over at him. His face shown disapproval.

"Your mother?" I questioned. This time he sighed.

"My mother is... it is complicated..." He trailed off.

"Oh..." I whispered sadly. He smiled at me as he placed his hand on the door knob.

"I will explain later. here is your room Nanu." He said as he pushed the door open. My mouth dropped.

it looked amazing! The floor was carpeted with an elegant green carpet and 3 dressers were in this room alone! It was spacious and filled with all kinds of little trinkets and knickknacks and a thick brown rug was spread across the center of the floor. The bed alone was amazing in its self. It was so big and had the most comfortable looking blankets laying atop of it.

"Ezio..." I breathed as I slowly entered the room. "It's beautiful!" I smiled brightly as I turned towards him. He had his arms crossed, leaning against the door frame watching me. He was still shirtless and marks now riddled his body, but this room paled in comparison to the way he looked right now. he slowly dropped his arms and walked over to me. my eyes followed his every move. He raised his arms and cupped my cheeks gently, the small movement causing his muscles to ripple deliciously under his tan skin. His plump lips looked almost irresistible as he lowered them slowly to my jaw line. my eyes slid close in ecstasy as I drank in the wonderful feeling he was causing to rock through my body by just the few simple kisses he trailed up my jaw. I slid my arms around his body as my nails dragged against his soft skin. He growled deliciously in my ear before he brought his lips back up my jaw, then pressed them to mine possessively. Things instantly got heated as we fought for dominance with our mouths. both wanting to taste the other. I gasped as his hands slid to my bottom, gripping it roughly and lifting me from the floor. I instinctively wrapped my legs around him and surrendered to his lips, letting him explore every inch of my hot mouth. he walked me over to the bed and carefully laid me down, immediately crawling overtop of me. I slipped my hands slowly over his chest and down his abdomen, my fingers itching to take those pesky pants off of his body. but just as they glided over his lower stomach, he placed his hands over mine, stopping me. I sighed in irritation.

"You know, I'm starting to think you don't want to have sex with me." I said bluntly. He gave a loud laugh, his toned stomach flexing underneath our hands just making me want him even more.

"I think it would make you happier if I went looking for Rita and brought her here to safety." He stated. I chewed my lip in defeat.

"You're right..." I mumbled under my breath. He laughed again and placed a sweet kiss to my forehead.

"Get some sleep. You need it." He said as he climbed out of bed.

"You do too." I stated.

"I will sleep once I know everyone I care for is safe." He said sweetly to me. My heart felt so full at his words. I nodded and with that he left the room. After I got comfortable I pulled the thick covers over my body, sighing as the bed cradled my figure perfectly. I fell asleep almost instantly. They were right. I was exhausted.

O...

..O...

...O...

...O...

My bed creaked and shifted in the middle of the night and I felt a warm arm drape lightly around my waist. I tried to rouse myself awake and roll over but he held me in place.

"Sleep my girl, I will see you in the morning light." His god like voice whispered in my hair. I was still so tired that I did not try and fight him. I just scooted my back against his chest and let myself drift back to sleep. It was the best night's sleep I had ever had.

...O...

...O...

...O..

...O

The next morning I awoke and stretched out my sore limbs. Ezio wasn't in bed with me this morning. I frowned. He needed more sleep than that. He is the one who was almost executed after all. I sat up and combed my fingers through my tangled hair. ' _I really need to wash it out today.'_  I thought to myself. A soft knock came from the door.

"Come in." I called. The door was slowly pushed open and in walked Ezio, carrying a huge tray of food. "Ezio." I said happily. "What are you doing?" He kicked the door shut behind him and took a seat next to me on the bed.

"You have to be starving." He said as he handed me a piece of toasted bread. "It's been a whole day since you last ate." I was surprised. I hadn't even realized it.

"Thank you Ezio." I said sincerely as I took the toast and immediately started eating it. He plucked an apple from the tray and also began eating. "You haven't eaten either?" I asked. He shook his head as he took greedy bites. I laughed at his bulging mouth. We sat in silence and ate until we were both satisfied. I watched as he sat the tray on a nearby table and cleared his throat.

"My mother has spoke one sentence to me in 13 years." Ezio started. His words caught me off guard for a moment but I shook it off and listened carefully. "She went into shock after my brothers and father were executed." My mouth popped open.

"Executed?" I said in disbelief. He nodded.

"By a trusted family friend..." he trailed off. I slowly shook my head and waited for him to continue. "My father was an Assassin. He had been working with the judge, carrying out his deeds whenever he asked. And that was the way things went for a long time. till one day when I was seventeen, my father asked me to deliver some very important documents to him. at this time I had no clue about the assassins, so I thought this was a typical errand. While I was out, the judge ordered for all the males of the Auditore family be arrested..." He started to trail off. I could tell he didn't really want to finish it. "my eldest brother, younger brother, and father were hung. in the town square. and the Auditore family was labeled as traitors." After a moment he added. "I was supposed to be up there too..." I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me as if I pulled him from an unpleasant flash back and smiled sadly, putting his warm hand over mine.

"I'm so sorry Ezio..." I said apologetically.

"It is okay." He replied with a small smile. "It made me who I am today." I gave him a smile back.

"This was thirteen years ago?" I questioned.

"Yes." he replied. I did the math in my head as I chewed on my bottom lip.

"If you were seventeen at the time then that makes you..." I gasped. "You're thirty?!" He laughed so hard the bed shook.

"Yes Nanu. Does this surprised you?" He said in amusement.

"No," I said as I rolled it over in my head. "I just didn't think you were so much older than I was." he leaned closer to me and brushed a stray hair out of my face.

"How old are you Nanu?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"twenty two." I replied quietly. He just smiled at me. suddenly a thought hit me. "Aunt Rita."

"She is okay." he said quickly. "She is just recovering in her room. She was still asleep last time I checked."

"Recovering?" I asked worried. He hesitated.

"She was a little banged up from the guards..." My heart sank. "She is okay though Nanu, I promise." I relaxed a little and nodded.

"I want to go see her." I said. He nodded and we both got out of bed. He led me down the long hallway and stopped at her door. He opened it slowly and let me in, pushing a finger to his lips asking me to stay silent. I nodded and went in. I turned and watched as he pulled the door together to give us some privacy. once he was gone I turned to Aunt Rita. He was right. She had cuts all along her body and her eyes were swollen together. My heart felt broken as I stared at her. "Oh Aunt Rita..." I breathed out quietly as I gently took her hand. "I'm so sorry I couldn't help you more." my voice cracked as tears began to wet my eyes. Instead of fighting them, I just let them fall. I kneeled next to her bed and sobbed into her hands until I felt like I couldn't sob anymore. I felt so useless.

After a good long while I heard the door creek open and I looked up with swollen eyes to see Ezio walking back in. he walked over to my side and scooped me off the floor. I let go of Aunt Rita's hand and wrapped my arms around his neck. He walked me back to my room, then opened the door to the privet bathroom that was attached to it. all at once I was engulfed in warm soapy water. I gasped as my clothes clung tight to my body under the water. Ezio was still holding tight to me, he too was still in his pants.

"Ezio. what are you doing?" I asked surprised.

"I figured we could both use a bath." he answered simply. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

"Yeah, but most people take their clothes off first."

"Oh well, we can take them off now..." he said lowly as he brought his mouth to mine. I hummed in delight as he worked his wonderful lips on me in the most intoxicating of ways. he felt him slip his hands under the water and grip the hem of my gown before he broke the kiss just long enough to slip it over my head and toss the sopping wet clothing to the floor. feeling brave I crawled my way through the water and straddled his lap as I trailed my hands over his slick chest. He smirked and gripped my hips, gently trailing his hands up my stomach. He slid my bra up easily, exposing my wet pebbles to the cool air. I inhaled sharply as my peaks began to harden. He slipped a hand up the spine of my back and unhooked my bra with a quickness. It slid off my arms easily and into the water. Ezio quickly fished it out and tossed it too on the floor. Once he brought his eyes to mine his hands glided slowly over my bare chest. I moaned loudly and a sharp stab of pleasure rocked through my body as he pinched my pink pearls hard between his fingers. He quickly moved in close to me, his breath and body heat even warmer than our bath.

"You must be quiet mio amore, we are not alone in this house..." his voice dripped with seduction as he whispered against my ear. I shivered. he knew exactly what effect he had on me. "Understand?" he questioned as he applied a pressure to my nipples again, rolling them around between his fingers. my head lolled back and I quietly groaned. He used this as an opportunity to latch his mouth against my dampened neck. His lips massaged my sensitive skin as his fingertips trailed down my body and into the water, hooking my panties and slipping them off of my hips and down my legs with ease. Now the only thing that covered my naked body from his eyes were the bubbles that floated around us. He quickly flipped me around in the bath and sat me in his lap with my back against his chest. he slid his hands from my hips slowly down my legs before he grabbed me by my ankles and lifted them from the water. The cold tub chilled my legs as he draped them open over either side, water streaked down my feet then dripped into the floor. He had me spread wide open the same way he did in the forest. the warm water licked at my sensitive womanhood and made me squirm around in anticipation. a gasp escaped my lips as Ezio began to very lightly flick his fingertips against my swollen bud.

"Oh yes..." I moaned out as I rolled my hips against his hands, my eyes rolling in my head as my entrance quivered, dying to be filled by him.

"Quietly..." he warned as he slipped his other hand down between my thighs as well, slipping it up and down my damp slit before he slid two fingers fully inside me. I gripped the sides of the tub as my tongue slipped from my mouth. I grinded against his hand, bouncing up and down on his fingers that he had curled inside me, hitting the right spot every time. I felt myself slowly start to come unglued. I quickly turned around, his fingers slipping out of me as I shoved my hands under the water, grabbing hold of his pants. I unfastened the clasps on the and jerked them down his deliciously toned legs before I too tossed them to the floor. I gazed into his eyes, watching the desire flash strongly across his features as I slid my hands down his tummy, and over his member. My eyes widened as my hands traveled the length of it. It was much bigger than I ever thought to imagine. He smirked at me but it was quickly wiped from his face when I started slowly pumping him. he growled in desire and threw his head back. I pushed my chest against him as I whispered against the sweet skin on his cheek

"You have to be quiet, love..." he smirked through his pleasure."We are not alone in this house..." I hummed sweetly as I flicked my thumb over his slick tip. His body responded to me perfectly, shuddering repeatedly as I sped up my pace. I basked in the fact that my hands could reduce Ezio the Assassin, strong and mighty, to this mess of a man that sat moaning uncontrollably in front of me. without a warning he leaned forward, pushing my back against the tub as he positioned himself between my legs. I gasped, spreading them wide for him as I felt his head circling my entrance. I shivered as his beautiful tan body loomed over top of me.

"Are you ready Nanu?" He purred in my ear as his hands gripped my hips. I had never heard anything more sexy in my life.

"Yes." I breathed as I arched against him. I took a deep breath as I felt his tip slide past my entrance. He was so big I could already feel myself stretching to fit him. my breath hitched as I began to rock my hips, craving more of him to fill me. He slowly slipped himself inch by inch, deeper into me. pain started to erupt between my legs as my body tried adjust to him. He seen the uncomfortable look on my face and quickly captured my lips with his. I could feel his hesitation when he didn't move inside me. "Don't stop." I begged against his mouth. he grunted in agreement before he slowly slid his way out of me, then pushed back in. I hissed in pain as his girth stretched my womanhood to the max. he hesitated again, but then continued to carefully slide in and out of me. it took a long moment before my body relaxed and the pain eased off. But once it did, it was replaced with the most intense pleasure I had ever imagined. I started to grunt and groan as pleasure hit me in massive waves. Every time he pumped into me my body quivered beneath him. His strong hands held my hips in place as I began to buck against him. Water from the tub splashed out repeatedly onto the floor as his thrusts became harder. I couldn't hold back the moans that spilled from my mouth. they were loud and demanding as I clutched to his tone body with my hands. He lifted one hand from my hips to place over my mouth to silence me. I couldn't stop. I moaned against his palm as he ravaged my hungry body, my climax rapidly building. I could feel his manhood throbbing inside me as his body began to shake. my legs locked around him and my walls clenched repeatedly. My orgasm hit me hard. I screamed against his hand as my nails dug into his skin leaving angry red marks. he shuddered, trying to hold back his moan as his body released himself inside me. I rocked against him, riding out our orgasm together for a long while, my body becoming limp as we reached the end. he too became week, laying his forehead against my shoulder and dropping his hand from my mouth.

I trailed my fingers up and down his back as I watched the ripples in the water steady. His lips lazily brushed over my damp shoulder. He sighed before he slowly slipped out of me and leaned back. My eyes swept across his face, taking in the flushed look of his cheeks. His lips curved when he finally spoke.

"I think we should bathe together more often." I laughed and I nodded.

"I agree." He gripped the tub and pulled himself to his feet before grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist. He stepped out of the tub and walked over next to me, placing a kiss on my forehead.

"I will let you finish up your bath." he said as he walked out of the room. I sighed happily as I began to grab the soap and lather my body. I seen Ezio poke his head back in the room. I raised my eyebrows at him. He starred at me for a long moment before he spoke. "I love you, Nanu." my heart leapt at his words and I smiled.

"I love you too, Ezio." and with a smile, he left.


	11. Breaking Point

"I want to show you something." An Italian coated voice said softly in my ear as I combed through my wet hair. I turned around and raised an eyebrow at him. "It is not a surprise," He clarified. "More of a favor." I knit my eyebrows together in confusion, wondering what use I could possibly be to him.

"Okay." I said timidly as I placed my brush down on the table and stood.

"Come." He said as he took my hand and led me from the room. I noticed he changed into another cloak this one was a bit darker, sort of an off grey color. It made him look more like his normal self. This cloak was slightly different though. It seemed to hold more weapons and had a different design on it. It was also quite a bit longer, but overall it resembled his old one pretty closely besides the color. I loved the way it made him look so strong and mysterious. His facial hair had also grown out recently. It was only a little more than a stubble but fit him perfectly. I glanced around as we walked. The villa was so big. There were so many beautiful room inside, each decorated accordingly to it purpose. The walls were tall and seemed to glow when the lights hit them just right. It was truly a beautiful building. He led me down the stairs and into one of the rooms that looked like a library before gesturing towards the desk, silently asking me to take a seat. I did as he instructed then he made his way behind me, snaking his arms around me before pulling the drawer to the desk. He pulled out a few huge binders and laid them atop the table.

"What is that?" I questioned as I looked down at the tattered books.

"These are the books for Mario's businesses around town. When my sister was here she kept them up. She did a really good job at it as well. After she left we have had some trouble getting them sorted out." He explained as he walked around me and sat half way on the desk. "I do not know if you have any experience with this kind of thing, but would you mind maybe taking a look at them? Maybe you could help us out." I gave him a smile before carefully opening one of the books. I immediately recognized what they were.

"These are financial documents for the local stores and buildings." I stated confidently.

"Uh… Yeah." Ezio said, surprised as he rubbed the back of his neck. "How did you know that?" he questioned.

"I have told you about the pottery store I helped run in Egypt." I replied.

"Well, yeah. But I did not know you handled the financial part as well." I laughed as I flipped the pages.

"I handled pretty much everything." I could feel his warm eyes studying me. We sat in silence for a long moment before he spoke again.

"Who handles it now?" I smiled sadly and closed the book, setting it to the side.

"Oni did." I answered as I folded my hands in my lap. "I sometimes feel guilty for leaving it all on her to handle when I decided to leave." He slid from the desk and grabbed my hands gently, holding them as he looked at me sweetly.

"She had the option to join you here, no?" He asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Yes. I wanted her to. But she absolutely refused. And, well, you seen when happened when she did finally make her way here…" I trailed off. He sighed and raised my hand up to his soft lips, placing a loving kiss to the back before he dropped it.

"You will handle the books then?" He questioned, his tone returning to professional. I nodded.

"No problem." I said with a smile.

"Good." He replied as he pulled his hood over his head. "I have faith in you." He began to walk towards the door. I started to get an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

"Where are you going?" I asked. He glanced over his shoulder at me.

"To take care of some… things." I knew I shouldn't have said anything else, but something kept eating at me.

"What type of things?" I asked skeptically as I slowly rose from my chair. I could tell my curiosity caught him off guard. He stopped walking and turned around.

"Just some… stuff." He said as he crossed his arms. I too crossed my own arms and raised my eyebrow at him. "What?" he half chuckled.

"What stuff Ezio?" I asked again with not a trace of humor in my voice. He grew irritated at me.

"The stuff I always have to take care of." He stated as he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Killing people?" I said bluntly. He uncrossed his arms and took a defensive stance. I could tell He didn't like my words.

"What has gotten into you Nanu?" He said harshly.

"I'm right, aren't I?" I demanded.

"Nanu." He warned as he stepped closer to me.

"Why Ezio? I thought this was going to be different. You said it was." I could not stop the overflow of feelings spewing from my mouth. All the things I kept bottled up about what he does and who he is came flowing out.

"I said Venice was a different place, not that I was a different person!" He yelled.

"Can't you just stop?" I asked, throwing my hands in the air. "Do you always have to kill people? Is this always going to be your life?" He gave an irriteted huff, turning quickly and stomping towards the door.

"You know not of what you speak." He said harshly. My irritation grew.

"Do you care for nothing else?" I yelled after him.

"Of course I do!" he yelled back from the door way.

"Sure…" I scoffed under my breath. He turned towards me once more, quickly advancing towards me while jabbing a finger in my direction.

"You know nothing! What I do, I do because of the ones I love! I am an Assassin! I was born with Assassin blood flowing through my body and I will DIE an Assassin! And YOU will just have to deal with it!" I sat back into my chair, watching him with wide eyes as every angry word flew from his mouth. I felt my own eyes begin to sting, my hurt emotions causing more words to flow.

"And what if I don't want to?" I choked out.

"Then leave!" He yelled before turning for the last time and stomping out of the door and out of the Villa.

Tears fell from my eyes and damped the books that lay on top of the desk. I stayed there for at least an hour, replaying what had happened over and over in my head. A part of me wondered if I would ever be at peace with what Ezio does. In this moment it seemed unlikely. Another part of me wishes I would have just kept my mouth shut. But I also think he needed to know my true feelings on the matter. I sighed. I should have gone about it a different way.

I wiped away my tears with the sleeve of my dress and opened the books once more. Ezio's sister did an amazing job at keeping everything organized. Her work was really impressive. I hoped I could do as good of a job as she did. I worked on the books for a long while, making notes and studying the average costs of each property before a small knock came from the doorway. I glanced up to see a rough looking Aunt Rita standing before me.

"Aunt Rita!" I cried as I pushed my chair back, quickly going to her side.

"Nanu, wonderful to see you dear!" She said in her usual cheerful voice.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Oh yes!" she replied. "I am just fine. I've been through worse than this." I crinkled my forehead in displeasure.

"I don't want to know…" she gave a small laugh. She glanced around the room we were in.

"I haven't been in here for ages." She said as her eyes looked far off, recalling some old memories.

"Yeah, it's nice." She glanced over at the desk.

"Ezio has you managing books now, does he?" she asked with a chuckle. I was surprised at how much my heart ached at just the mention of his name. This didn't go unnoticed by her. "Oh honey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I tried to say nonchalantly. "We just had a little disagreement is all." She studied my face for a long moment before sighing.

"That will happen from time to time darling. Things will be okay though." I gave a small smile. I knew she was right. This wasn't going to last forever. I tried to brush off my feelings and move on. "Would you like to come and help me make some dinner?" Aunt Rita asked, trying to keep me distracted. I smiled and nodded.

"I'd love to. I hadn't realized how late it was." I replied.

"Oh, busy day?" She questioned. My mind briefly recapped today's events. Images of my afternoon bath with Ezio flashed in my mind's eye. I could feel my face reddening as we made our way to the kitchen.

"Sort of…" I mumbled. I watched her steel a glance at me out of the corner of her eye, raising an eyebrow in confusion, but she didn't ask me to elaborate. And for that I was grateful. We busied ourselves with preparing a meal big enough for all of us to eat, chatting occasionally as we worked. It felt nice to be this way with her again. It felt like ages had gone by since we were living peacefully in Florence. So much had changed in just a short amount of time.

"Rita! So good to see you awake and doing well!" I voice cried from behind us. We turned to see Mario walking through the doorway.

"I am feeling just fine Mario, thank you for all your help." Aunt Rita said as she took a few steps towards him, wiping her hands on a towel.

"So glad to hear it. I have to admit, I was a little worried." He placed his hand on her shoulder, giving her a small squeeze. She smiled at him sweetly.

"I appreciate the concern Mario."

They talked as we cooked. It was obvious to me that Mario liked Aunt Rita. His voiced seemed to soften when he spoke directly to her. I smiled to myself, wondering if Rita felt the same for him. I felt like maybe she did. She would softly touch his arm and nudge his ribs when the opportunity presented itself. After he excused himself to go wash up for dinner I spoke to her.

"Mario seems awful sweet on you Aunt Rita." A big smile crawled its way onto her lips.

"Yes, it would seem so." She agreed. I paused for a moment before bumping her slightly.

"So, do you like him?" she gave a small laugh.

"Didn't we have this conversation once before? I'm too old for love." She said. It almost sounded down hearted.

"That's not true. I don't think anyone is too old for love." She pursed her lips together as we served the food.

"Perhaps."

They laughed and talked over supper as we all ate. The meal was wonderful, but my heart felt so heavy knowing Ezio and I were on bad terms. After we ate I told Aunt Rita that I would take care of the dishes. When she protested I told her it would keep my heavy mind preoccupied. She nodded and left with Mario to stroll around the house before bed. I busied myself with cleaning anything I thought could use it. Then finally when I ran out of things to do, I had to retire to my room. After I changed and climbed into bed I had nothing else to do but think about the events that happened that afternoon. I thought about how Ezio's hands felt as they explored my body. How amazing it felt to share that intimate moment with him this morning. How I wished we could share one now. Then I thought about how his sharp tongue hurt me this afternoon. How his words were so powerful, they could build me up, and tare me down just as easily. How did we go from one extreme to the other so quick?

I felt the familiar sting of tears starting to pool in my eyes. I quickly slipped under the covers and closed my eyes, hoping for sleep to rescue me before they started to fall.


	12. Goodbye

_I was scribbling silently into my books in the library when footsteps pulled me from my work. I looked up into the troubled eyes of an Assassin._

_"Ezio." I breathed out as I dropped my pen and stood._

_"Nanu." He said with a short nod. "Any luck with the books?" His voice was guarded as he tried to hold a normal conversation with me. It took me a moment to respond._

_"…yes, I think I have a pretty good handle on them."_

_"Excellent." He said with a straight face. We both remained quiet for a long while._

_"Ezio," I finally said, breaking the silence. "I want to talk about the things I said the other day." He leaned back and crossed his arms, waiting on me to continue._

_"I didn't mean them-"_

_"Stop." He cut me off, raising his hand. "You think it wise to try and lie to an Assassin?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "We are trained to smell this kind of stuff Nanu." He slowly put his hand down and waited for me to speak again._

_"Okay," I said. "You're right. I did mean them. I meant every word. But I didn't mean for things to happen like that." His eyes softened slightly and he dropped his arms._

_"You reminded me of something Nanu." He started as he slowly walked around the room. "I try to justify everything I do. Every life I take has a meaning behind it. And for a long while I was at peace with the life I lived. Then someone like you comes along. Someone so pure and good. You reminded me of the monster I really am. But when you spoke of me before, to your sister or who ever, you talked like I could do no wrong. And that was enough to make me forget what I was. But a couple days ago, when you said those things to me, you reminded me that no matter my reason, I still take the lives of the living. I battle my own demons every day, and lately it seems they are winning."_

_My heart ached for him. I hated being the one to cause his suffering. I dropped my head and closed my eyes._

_"Ezio, I'm so sorry." He turned and looked at me, his face still cold._

_"Do not be sorry. I am the only person responsible for my own actions." I didn't know how to respond to him. All I wanted to do was forget all of this and go back to the way things used to be, but that didn't seem possible just yet. I thought about the things he said to me that day and a question popped into my mind._

_"Ezio," I said as I looked up at him. "Did you mean those things you said that day as well?" He paused only briefly before answering._

_"Yes." My heart ached at his words._

_"Even the part about me leaving?" I asked desperately. He seemed to roll this over in his mind carefully for a few moments._

_"If it is what you think is best for you, yes." I wrapped my arms around myself and tried to swallow the lump in my throat._

_"I see." I whispered. I felt a warm pressure on my cheek as he raised his gloved hand and cupped it gently. I leaned into his touch for a long moment before he dropped his hand from my face, turned, and walked out of the room._

The memory caused a burning in my chest as I climbed my way out of bed. It had been at least a week since we had that conversation. I made my way into the bathroom and gathered some water for a bath. Ezio and I have spoken briefly here and there, but it's nothing like it used to be. He doesn't sleep in my bed with me anymore. He has put me at such a distance since that day in the library. I stripped down and climbed into the steaming bath. The water felt amazing lapping at my skin. I tried to push away the memory Ezio and I made in this very bath as I began to wash off. My heart ached for him every day, but I couldn't help but wonder if he too was suffering like I was. If he was, he didn't let it show. I finished up and dried off, throwing on a simple green dress. The weather was turning a bit chilly outside so I decided to dress accordingly. I combed my hair and put it up before I made my way down stairs into the kitchen to grab something to eat.

"Morning dear!" Aunt Rita called from the breakfast table. I looked over to see her finishing up her meal with Mario.

"Good morning Aunt Rita." I said to her with a smile.

I grabbed slice bread and spread some butter over it and grabbed a banana before walking to her side.

"I must be getting a start on my day Rita." I heard Mario say before he softly placed a kiss to her hand. She smiled at him and bid him farewell. He gave me a polite wave before he exited the room.

"You guys doing good?" I asked as I took a seat.

"Splendid!" she exclaimed as she clapped her hands together. I gave her a smile.

"I'm glad to hear it."

I ate and listened as she talked about a date they had recently gone on. It made me so happy Aunt Rita had finally decided to give a relationship a chance. After she finished her story she asked me a question.

"Nanu, would you like to come out on the town with me today? It would be nice to get out of the house for a bit." I thought about this for a moment before I answered.

"That sounds really nice Aunt Rita, I'd love to." I hadn't got to see much of the city so I was looking forward to it.

"Wonderful. Let me grab my things." She said as she hurried for her room. I finished my meal and grabbed my bag before we headed out. We walked into town and enjoyed the sites this beautiful city had to offer. "Beautiful isn't it?" Aunt Rita asked me as we walked.

"Yes." I responded. "Much different than Florence." She nodded in agreement.

"Yes Florence was a smaller town. Not much happened there." I watched as people rushed around in every direction.

"This town defiantly seems busier." Aunt Rita got a sparkle in her eye before she turned to me.

"Oh Nanu, they have this huge building just a few blocks from here that carries multiple sellers clothing in once place! It's amazing some of the things you can find there. Let's go shall we?" she said with excitement. I couldn't help the smile that spread wide across my face.

"Okay." I agreed. We walked in that direction and talked casually the whole way. It was a wonderful feeling to be spending time with Aunt Rita. It was always good for the soul.

She wasn't kidding about this building. It was HUGE the biggest one I had seen so far. We walked through the doors and glanced around at our surroundings. It was amazing. There were buildings inside the building! I had never seen anything like it. Each building inside was its own store, and in the lobby outside of those buildings there were little stands where you could purchase some food and sit at a table to eat.

"Look at this!" I said as I spun around. "It's amazing!"

"Oh I know dear!" Aunt Rita chimed in as she clapped her hands together. "Would you like to go look through the stores?" she asked. I nodded enthusiastically before we took off. We went through every store, occasionally buying some things, but mostly just window shopping. We spent the majority of our day together in this building. When we got hungry we grabbed lunch, and then shopped a little more. I truly enjoyed myself.

"Well, I suppose we should make our way back home." Aunt Rita said as we walked out of the store.

"Yeah," I agreed. "You are probably right."

So we did. We walked along the cobblestone streets and chatted as we watched the bright sun get closer and closer to the horizon.

"Thank you." I said to Aunt Rita as we walked. This seemed to catch her off guard.

"For what dear?"

"For spending today with me. I think I really needed it." I replied to her with a smile. She returned it.

"Anytime darling." She responded. We walked in a comfortable silence for a long while until something caught my eye.

A building that resembled a house had its front door wide open.

"That's odd." I said as I walked closer to get a better look.

"Nanu?" I heard Aunt Rita call over my shoulder.

"Do you see this door?" I asked her. "It's dangerous to leave it open like that. Doesn't that seem odd to you?"

"Well, yes but we really should be getting home…" she said nervously. I gave a nod.

"Yeah, but let me make sure they are okay first." I heard her protest again from behind me as I inched closer to the door. Once I got close to it I saw a group of people standing in the middle of the living room. Right before I was about to get their attention a grey cloak caught my eye. I grabbed Aunt Rita by the hand and pulled her back, jumping behind the wall. "Did you see that!?" I whispered to her. "That was Ezio!"

"Nanu." She started to speak.

"What is he doing here? Who are those people?" I asked as I poked my head out to take a peak. My heart stopped in my chest when I recognized who he was talking with.

"Thieves?" I asked, watching as he dropped money into one of their hands. I turned my eyes on Aunt Rita.

"Nanu, listen-"

"Why is he working with thieves?" I demanded.

"He works with who he has to, to get what he needs done."

"Aunt Rita, My parents-"I started to plead.

"Nanu, try and understand." I stared at her for a long moment and tried. I really tried to understand, but all I could feel was betrayal, and confusion, and PAIN.

"No," I cried as I slowly shook my head. Nothing was making sense. I felt like I couldn't trust anyone.

"Maybe we all should sit down and talk." She offered as she looked at me with pleading eyes. I thought for a moment then shook my head.

"No Aunt Rita, I don't think that's going to help this time." I said as tears trailed down my cheek. "I think it's time I left."

"Left?!" she said astonished. "Where will you go?" I stayed silent for a moment, trying to control my shaky voice. I know it sounded dramatic. I know it may seem like overreacting. But the only thing I could think of was my poor parents being murdered by a bunch of thieves! I needed to get out of here. It was as if Italy was poison to my body. My sister was right. I needed to go.

"Home." I finally answered.

"Nanu-"she tried again.

"Please, Aunt Rita, Please just let me go okay?" I watched as she studied my face, deciding if this was what was best for me. Finally she dropped her head and nodded. I let out a shaky breath and stepped close to her, wrapping my arms tightly around her body before placing a kiss to her cheek. "Thank you Aunt Rita, for everything." She gave me a sad smile and nodded.

"Take care dearie." She choked out before I turned to leave.

I ran. Eyes were gawking at me from every angle but I was beyond caring at this point. I ran because if I didn't, I would talk myself out of it. I made my way as quick as I could to the river that cut through the center of the city. A man was working the docks. He looked up at me and gave me a smile.

"Can I help you signora?" he asked kindly.

"Yes." I said as I tried to catch my breath. "I need to get to Egypt." My request shocked him.

"Signora, I am not equipped to take trips that far on my-"

"I'll pay you whatever you want." I cut him off. He seemed to be torn over my offer. He kept looking to his boat, then back at me. He did this for a few minutes before he spoke again.

"I can take you to a different boat. That boat can take you all the way to Egypt."

"That will work. Thank you sir." I said gratefully. He held his hand out to me and helped me on the boat. I thanked him and took a seat while he prepared to sail.

I sighed and dropped my head in my hands. How did things get so messed up? I thought about Ezio for a long while. I missed him so much. A sob tore through my body as tears fell from my eyes again. How could he do this? He knew how my parents died. He saw thieves try and rape me in Florence. How could he work with them? Another sob escaped my mouth. It was as if I could feel every fiber of my heart being slowly ripped apart.

A small tap on my shoulder made me jump.

"I am sorry signora." The kind man apologized.

"No." I said as I quickly wiped my face. "It's okay."

"I just wanted to tell you I am ready to take off if you are."

"Yes," I said with a sigh. "I'm ready." I reached inside my bag and dug around for a moment before handing him a fist full of money." He took it with wide eyes.

"All of this signora?" he asked, uncertain.

"Yes." I said with a nod. "Just take it." He thanked me repeatedly before he hurried to man the boat.

I took a deep breath and watched the water trail by us as we made our way through town. The sun looked like it was dipped halfway into the water, its colors bleeding orange and yellow into the sky. I knew I would regret not saying goodbye, but I just couldn't bear it. My adventure here had been fun and full of love. But it was time to go back home.


	13. Always

The sky was all black as we came up on a small town. I chewed my lip as I studied it carefully.

"Oh no…" I mumbled under my breath. "Excuse me sir, could you tell me where exactly we are? I yelled to him over the noise of the engine.

"Yes signora, we are approaching the dock in Florence Italy."

"Shit." I said under my breath. "Thank you!" I yell back to him.

I quickly dug through the bag of things I bought when Aunt Rita and I were out shopping. Luckily I had purchased a cream overcoat with a hood. I counted my blessings as I quickly slipped it on, pulling the hood up to cover my face. We pulled up to the dock and I waited as he climbed out of the boat and made sure the boat was anchored properly.

"Here we are Signora!" the man said happily as he motioned for me to exit the boat. I thanked him as I made my way onto the ground. "One moment while I get another ship to take you the rest of the way to Egypt." I darted my eyes around, making sure no one heard him. The streets were mostly empty. That's the way night time in Florence was. I relaxed a bit as I waited. It was an odd feeling to be standing on the streets of Florence again. I never thought I'd be back here. And if I am being honest, I shouldn't be here at all. I was really hoping I could get out of here quickly. I watched as the man jogged back to my side.

"I have got you another boat signora. He will take you where you need to go." He clarified as he pointed towards a bigger ship." I nodded.

"Thank you for all of your help sir." I said sincerely to him. He gave me a big smile and a wave before he headed back for his boat.

I took a deep breath and walked towards the bigger ship where I was greeted by another man.

"Hello my lady. You are traveling all the way to Egypt yes?" He asked.

"Yes." I replied with a nod.

"I see. No bags with you?" he raised his eyebrows at me.

"Um, no." I said carefully "I was in a bit of a hurry."

"Ohh I understand my lady. I'll make it quick then hmm? Thirty minutes tops!" he said with a wink before he turned to ready the ship. "There are two rooms in the ship with beds. Take one and make yourself comfortable." He said over his shoulder. I thanked him and made my way on the boat and into one of the rooms. I let out a sigh of relief as I sat on one of the beds, glad to be out of the public's eye. It is a long trip back to Egypt and I was dreading it. Before my thoughts could wonder too far, I heard heavy footsteps outside of my door. I crinkled my forehead in confusion.

"Hello?" I called out, cautiously standing to my feet. Suddenly my door burst open with a loud crash. I jumped back and gasped in surprise when I was met with two gorgeous hazel eyes.

"Ezio?" I asked in astonishment. His body was shaking with every breath he took. I could see he was angry, but also relieved and there was a hint of something else in his eyes. Something I had seen many times before.

"You were just going to leave without telling me goodbye?" he choked out, not even trying to hide his emotions.

"Ezio-"I tried again but he cut me off.

"I lied to you before, when I said all those things." I clutched at my chest and tried to speak again.

"I-"

"I do not care if you think this is what is best for you." he said loudly as he stepped towards me. "I am too selfish."

"But-"

If you try and leave, I will follow you." He practically begged as he grabbed hold of my arms tightly.

"The thieves Ezio!" I finally yelled at him. "How could you." he sighed loudly.

"Nanu, I have always worked with them."

"How could you! You know what they did. You know how much suffering they caused my sister and me!" I shoved his chest hard with my hands but he didn't loosen his grip on me.

"Nanu-"it was my turn to cut him off.

"And you've been working with them the whole time? You didn't even think to tell me?!" He shook me hard, getting my attention.

"NANU! Listen!" he yelled as he glared at me

"What!" I yelled back attempting to jerk my body from his grasp.

"… Thieves did not kill your parents…" He said carefully. His eyes watched me intensely, awaiting my reaction. His words didn't seem to register right away.

"…What…?" I whispered in confusion. He slowly released me and watched me carefully.

"What do you know?" I finally asked after a long silence. He opened his mouth to explain, but was cut off by the sound of a sword unsheathing. We quickly turned towards the doorway to see Niccolo standing there with his weapon drawn. Ezio reached back, gently pushing me directly behind him before I heard the faint clicking of his hidden dagger. He quickly stepped towards Niccolo, raising his arm to attack.

"NO!" I yelled wrapping my arms around his waist in an attempt to stop him. He stilled his movements briefly, giving me just enough time to place myself between the two of them. "Don't hurt him Ezio." I pleaded. He hesitated for a moment, looking between me and Niccolo before he lowered his arm. I relaxed slightly, even under the disapproving glare I was receiving. I was just about to turn and speak to Niccolo when I was jerked back by my hair. I yelped in pain as I attempted to fling my hands towards my head, trying to protect myself when an arm wrapped itself tightly around my abdomen, pinning mine to my sides. I felt the cool sting of sharp metal being pressed against the vulnerable flesh of my throat and Niccolo's shallow breaths in my ear. Ezio began to make a move towards us.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Ezio." Niccolo hissed at him. "I'll cut her wide open."

Ezio immediately stilled his movements, looking towards me with frightened eyes. I was slightly afraid of Niccolo in this moment, but somewhere deep inside me, I knew he wouldn't hurt me. Once I was secure in his arms, he loosened them slightly. If I really tried I could pull myself from his grasp. But I was afraid if I did, one of them would be hurt. So for now I just decided to remain calm and do as Niccolo requested.

"Come." He said as he backed us out of the room and onto the deck. He kept facing Ezio, watching his every move. Ezio did as he asked, not willing to put my life at risk. Once the cold air hit us I watched as Ezio's eyes darted around and his face fell. My heart sped up as I looked at him in confusion, I was not able to move my head to look around. His eyes softened and he gave me a comforting look. My feet finally hit cobblestone and I was able to see what had Ezio so worried. Every guard in the city had to be here. They were surrounding us with their weapons drawn. My eyes caught the sight of the friendly man whose ship I had boarded. He had a smug grin on his face, proud to be the one who caught the two people who fled the city accused of treason and murder. Niccolo's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"On your knees, Assassin." He demanded. True fear began to bubble up in my throat.

"Niccolo." I protested in a panic as I tried to tug my body away from him. His arms tightened around me, pinning me in place. My heart began to thud hard against my chest. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he would hurt me to get what he wants, Ezio's life.

"Do as I say or it will be her life!" he yelled, pressing the blade with more force against my neck. I flinched away from it. Ezio quickly lifted his hands in defeat as he slowly lower himself to his knees. Once he was on the ground multiple guards grabbed hold of him, holding him in place. My eyes began to sting, He looked so vulnerable.

"Now," Niccolo began. "Tell her what really happened to her parents." I crinkled my forehead in confusion as I looked towards Ezio. It took a minute for his face to register any emotions, but eventually he slowly dropped his head, shaking it slightly.

"Please." Ezio pleaded, His thick Italian voice coated with despair.

"Now!" Niccolo demanded loudly. Ezio stayed silent for another long moment, shaking his head before he finally spoke.

"They were not murdered by thieves." He said sadly, every word coated with pain. I listened carefully to his words, urging him to continue when he didn't.

"What happened then?" I asked. Niccolo's grip on me loosed as he dropped his arms, freeing me.

"They…" He paused, not wanting to continue. I took one cautious step towards him. "They were a part of the creed." He finally said. He slowly lifted his head and looked me in the eyes. He must have seen my confusion because he slowly continued. "They were trained spy's working for the Assassins creed." I stared at him for a long moment, trying to comprehend what he was telling me.

"Finish it!" Niccolo yelled behind me. His voice was frantic, almost crazy. Anger flashed across Ezio's face as his eyes flicked to Niccolo.

"Why are you doing this?!" Ezio yelled. "I know you care about her. I have seen you two together. Why do you want me to hurt her like this?!"

"She deserves to know the truth!" Niccolo yelled back. He gave a violent shake of his head, snarling through clenched teeth. "TELL HER!"

Ezio slowly directed his eyes back to me, carefully studying my face.

"Ezio…" I encouraged him to finish. He gave a loud sigh.

"They were spying on the Templars, pretending to be one of them and bringing back valuable information. There was a rat in our creed and we did not know. They told of your parents to the knights Templar, and they were…" He looked away as he finished. "…tortured for information. When they did not give any up, they were falsely accused of treason and hung in the streets..." He trailed off sadly. My gut churned in my abdomen. I felt like I was going to vomit. So many emotions flowed through my body, I didn't know which one to act on. The one that kept coming to the surface was hurt.

"You knew… this whole time?" I whispered. His face contorted in pain, pain he was feeling for me. Slowly he nodded and dropped his head.

"I am so sorry, Mio Amore." Two hands slowly gripped my shoulders and warm breath caressed my ear.

"See Nanu? I have wanted to tell you all along…" Niccolo whispered softly to me, something about his voice sounded almost evil. Suddenly every hint, every small thing anyone had ever said to me came flooding back into my memories. Niccolo, Aunt Rita, Oni, Everyone knew. Everyone but me. "The assassins are to blame for my mother's death as well." I listened to him with and expressionless face as my eyes grazed over Ezio, kneeling before me. "That is why they must be stopped. Too many unnecessary lives have been lost because of the creed." He slowly let me go and stood tall. The air was silent and thick with tension for the longest time.

"Kill him." Niccolo's voice came behind me. I turned quickly towards him.

"No."

The guards grabbed him roughly, jerking his hood back and grabbing a fist full of his hair.

"Niccolo!" I begged as I stepped closer to him, gripping his uniform with my hands.

"He has to pay for his actions Nanu." He said calmly.

"Please." I tried again. "What can I do to convince you?" Suddenly his eyes flashed to mine, a hopeful flicker danced in them for a brief moment. I knew what he wanted. I knew what I had to do to save Ezio's life.

"Kiss me." I whispered out.

"Nanu!" Ezio's voice came from behind me, dripping with disapproval. I ignored him.

"Kiss me Niccolo, please. Kiss me, and then let him go." He seemed to roll my proposal around in his head before he gripped my arms with force, and without warning crashed his mouth hard down on mine.

His lips ravaged every small section of my mouth, as if he was claiming me. I could feel every ounce of passion he had pouring into me. The kiss was rushed, and hungry. He savagely bit into my bottom lip, demanding entrance into my mouth. I surrendered to him, parting my wet lips and letting him in to taste me. His tongue flicked around my mouth while his hands explored my body. They grazed over my hips, up my tummy, along the curve of my breasts, even over my thighs. I wish I could say I hated every second of it. I wish I could say the way his hands were touching me made me sick. But I can't. I didn't hate it at all. A part of me wanted this. A part of me always wanted this. But the bigger part of me wanted Ezio. I was willing to throw Niccolo away for good, just to save him. I loved Ezio. A small moan escaped my lips as Niccolo hiked my dress up, brushing my inner thigh with his fingertips. I knew then it was time to stop. I slowly slipped my mouth from his, breathing in heavy breaths as I laid my head on his chest. I heard Ezio's disapproving grunts from behind me. Niccolo too took a moment to compose himself before he slipped his hands around me and spoke.

"Kill him." My eyes widened as I looked up at him

"No!" I yelled as I pushed him away.

"I'm sorry." He said with regret.

I was just about to scream when suddenly an arrow pierced him threw the abdomen. I watched in horror as Niccolo's eyes widened and looked down at the object protruding from his stomach. Blood spurted from his mouth as he struggled to try and speak. He formed no words, but his eyes said it all. He was scared. Slowly he dragged them back to me. I watched as the life slowly drained from his eyes. They became glassy and dull before he fell like a limp ragdoll to the ground with a hard thud. I looked towards the roof top where the arrow came from to see a red cloak blowing in the wind before the person disappeared into the night. Some of the guards ran off after them while the others remained confused, starring at the bloodied body of one of their own that lie on the ground.

Ezio used this confusion to make his move. He quickly jerked his arms from the guards while sweeping his feet underneath them, knocking them off balance. He unsheathed his hidden weapon and gripped one of the guard's heads, shoving the blade through the back of his neck. He used that guard's limp body to block a few attacks from the others before throwing it towards them, knocking a few down. He wasted no time getting to his feet and slashing the other guard's throats while they were trapped on the ground. He gripped the handle of his sheathed sword before quickly swinging around, pulling out his weapon and slashing two more guards stomachs open in one fluid motion. The smell of blood in the air was thick and sickening.

While he was fighting off the guards, I knelt down beside Niccolo. My heart broke as I looked into his lifeless eyes.

"I'm so sorry." I kept repeating at I tried to wipe away the blood from his mouth with my palm. My body shook hard as sobs came loudly from my mouth. My fingertips brushed his lips gently, those same lips that I was just kissing moments ago.

"Come!" Ezio yelled as he jerked me up by my arm and pulled me along quickly. I tried my best to keep up, trying to stop the tears as we ran through the shadows of the streets.

"Why are we running towards the end of town?" I asked with a shaky voice as we ran. "There is no way out this way." I watched as Ezio smirked.

"Maybe not that you know of…" He replied with confidence. We ran for such a long while, my lungs felt like they were going to burst. Finally we ran up on a huge building that toward the city. He hid us behind a wall, checking to make sure the coast was clear before he darted across the walkway with me trialing right behind him. He placed his hands over a leaver that looked to be shaped like a human skull and pulled on it. The pieces of the lever seemed to rearrange themselves before they clicked back into place, opening a secret passage into the wall. I watched in amazement before he dragged me into the building, the passage way closing behind us.

"Another Assassin secret?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Look Nanu," He started as he came close to me, cupping my cheeks lovingly. "I am sorry that I did not tell you about your parents. I did not wish to hurt you and…" he trailed off.

"And?" I urged.

"… and I was afraid you would hate me for what happened to them." He finally finished, dropping his head. "also," he continued. "I am sorry about Niccolo. I know how much he meant to you." I paused for a moment, thinking about everything I had learned today, before I too cupped his face, lifting it to face me again.

"Ezio, I kissed him because I thought he would spare you." I thought back to the night under the lantern at Aunt Rita's house. "He kissed me once before and apologized immediately after. He said the next time we kissed, I would have to ask." I sighed, slightly embarrassed." I thought it would work." Ezio let out a small chuckle.

"It looked like it almost did." He said "I am sorry that his life was taken…" . I smiled lovingly at him. My heart hurt so much for Niccolo, but he was going to kill Ezio. There was nothing I could do.

"And about my parents," I continued after a moment." They obviously believed in the creed. They gave their lives for it. As much as I hate that they are gone, and as much as I hate what happened to them, they died for something they believed in. There is no greater honor. And for that, I am glad. I brought my lips just a breath away from his before I softly spoke again. "I too would gladly die for the one I believe in." I whispered before I brought my lips bravely to his.

He returned my affection with his own, kissing me sweetly. His plump perfect lips molding against mine as if they were made to fit together. I would never get over the taste of him. He was absolutely delicious. His strong hand cupped the back of my head, holding me in place while his mouth worked its magic on me. His other hand found its way to my hip, gripping it tightly. I felt so safe when I was wrapped up in him like this. I had missed him so much these past couple weeks. His touch after so long was making my body ache. I squirmed around, trying to fight off my sexual urges. We were still on the run after all. This probably wasn't the best time. He must have realized why I was wiggling because he slowly slipped his hand from my hip, to the small of my back, then down the curve of my bottom. I inhaled sharply.

"Ezio, we can't. What if they find us?" I breathed out as his lips made their way down my neck.

"Then we run." He stated matter-of-factly. I opened my mouth to protest but a moan forced its way out instead when gave my bottom a hard squeeze. "Nanu, I need you." he whispered seductively against my skin while his lips teased my collar bone.

"Okay." I breathed as my eyes slid shut. I wasn't about to tell him no. How could I when he dominated my body this way. He knew exactly where to touch me to make me melt like putty in his hands. He gently guided me backwards until my back hit the cold surface of a wall. He captured my mouth again with his, kissing me with more of a burning passion this time. I heard the ripping of fabric when his hands left my body for a brief moment. I couldn't tell whose clothes he had just ripped, but at this moment I didn't care. He fingered the material of my dress over my shoulders before pulling it down, exposing my breasts to the cool air. I moaned into his mouth as my peaks hardened under the chill. His hands then gripped my wrists, dragging them slowly up the wall and placing them over my head. I gasped as he fastened them together roughly with the fabric, then he tied them to a hook that jutted out from the wall above me. My arms were trapped above my head and I, once again, was at his mercy.

He licked his lips, enjoying his work before he slid his way down my body placing loving kisses over the fabric of my dress while he hooked my underwear with his fingertips, pulling them inch by inch down my legs. He tossed them to the side before gripping my thighs, parting them, and wrapping my legs around his shoulders. I gasped. His face was buried between my legs. He rolled my dress up and out of the way before he let his lips brush against my quickly dampening slit. I groaned in anticipation, trying my best to keep from shoving my hips towards his face. He placed long, lingering kisses along my slit, teasing me, tasting the escaping juices. My bud was so swollen, begging for attention. Finally he slipped the tip of his tongue past my lips, brushing it gently over my clit. I moaned, shuddering from the quick pleasure. He must have liked my response because he repeated his action, this time dragging it a bit harder and longer over my sensitive spot. My legs shook as my eyes rolled. The pleasure was almost unbearable. He teased me like this for a long time, until I was a panting, sweaty mess.

"Please." I begged as I rocking my hips towards his mouth. He smirked and finally latched his lips around my bud, suckling on it gently, applying just enough pressure with his mouth to send shockwaves of pleasure coursing through my body. My hole was dripping as he continued to gently massage my clit with his hot tongue, rolling it around and flicking it roughly. My climax built quickly. I grinded my pelvis into his face and road out my orgasm, his tongue never stopping until my spasms quit coming. My chest heaved up and down as I was engulfed in a lusty haze.

Ezio wasted no time in standing to his feet and sliding out of his cloak. He worked with the latch on his belt, unclasping it and shimmying his pants down just enough to free his fully erect bulge.

"Ecstasy suits you well Nanu." Ezio purred into my ear as he placed both of his hands on my hips, positioning himself at my entrance. My first climax was still leaking out of me, making his entering all the more easy. He slid himself in deep, moaning as my tightness surrounded him. My muscles were still clenched from my orgasm. My body milked him, gripping his shaft and greedily taking every inch of him in. He wasted no time in taking it slow. He thrust into me hard, the pressure causing waves of pleasure like I'd never felt before against my already tender womanhood. I grinded my hips against him, riding his thick rod, letting it stretch me to the max. My mouth hung agape and my eyes rolled as my sopping wet mound quivered around him.

"Ezio!" I moaned out as my pleasure built again.

"Say it again." Ezio demanded through clenched teeth. His velvet dripping voice bringing me closer to my demise.

"Oh Ezio!" I moaned out again a bit louder, bouncing as quickly as I could on his shaft. My toes curled as I reached the silver lining of my pending orgasm.

"My name has never sounded more delicious than it does when you moan it Mio Amore, One last time." He commanded.

"Ezio!" I cried out one last time as I met my release, my womanhood spazzed around his thick rod and my second climax spilled out around it like a waterfall. I lost the ability to do anything but moan uncontrollably as he emptied himself in me with an enticing groan. His muscles rippled against my skin as he rolled his delicious body against mine, drowning in his pleasure. He stopped his thrusts and remained connected to me as our bodies started their decent from the intense high we just experienced. He placed light kisses along my skin, anywhere his mouth could reach as he lifted his hands to untie my wrists. He snaked his arm around my waist, catching me as my shaky knees gave way under my limp body. I stayed pinned to his chest until my strength returned.

"I love you Nanu." He breathed into my hair, slipping out of my body and placing a kiss to my forehead before we began readjusted our clothes.

"Nanu, you should know," he started as he dressed. "I have no idea about the future from this point on. I cannot promise you that things are going to be easy with me." I watched him with loving eyes as he spoke to me. "If you wish to go back home, I will take you and make sure you get there safe, but I have to come back to Italy. You can stay and live out a normal life…" He said, a hint of sadness tinting his tone. I smiled at him, but shook my head.

"Wherever you go Ezio, I will follow. That is what I wish. To be by your side, Always." A loving smile spread its way across his face.

"Then I vow to protect you," He said as he offered me his hand. I took it without hesitation, intertwining my fingers with his. "Always."


End file.
